The Growth Mindset Advantage: Helping Leaders and Teams Fall in Love with Learning Again
- DFJones
- Jun 20
- 3 min read

There’s a quiet revolution happening in boardrooms, break rooms, and Zoom calls everywhere. You can feel it when a team leans into a challenge rather than bracing against it. You can hear it in the way a leader says, “Let’s figure it out,” instead of, “That’s not my area.” You see it in organizations that evolve — not once, but continuously — without losing their identity.
At the heart of that difference is a growth mindset.
And no, it’s not just about being positive or trying harder. A growth mindset is a fundamental shift in how we understand our potential, how we respond to change, and how we define success in a world that refuses to sit still.
What Is a Growth Mindset?
Psychologist Carol Dweck defined it this way:
“In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work — brains and talent are just the starting point.
But here’s what’s often missed: it’s not just about effort. It’s about embracing the process of learning, even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s about staying curious in moments of failure, asking “What can I learn?” instead of “What does this say about me?”
And it’s about loving learning — not just when it’s easy, but especially when it isn’t.
In today’s rapidly changing world — one shaped by AI, automation, new business models, and constant market shifts — those who fall in love with learning are the ones best positioned to lead, grow, and thrive.
Fixed vs. Growth: Two Mindsets, Two Outcomes
People often think of mindset as binary — either you have it or you don’t. But the truth is, we all have areas where we’re open and flexible, and others where we get stuck.
Here’s a quick look at the difference:
Fixed Mindset:
Avoids challenges
Seeks approval over understanding
Gives up when results don’t come quickly
Views effort as fruitless
Fears feedback or takes it personally
Growth Mindset:
Embraces challenges
Seeks mastery and learning
Stays persistent even when it’s hard
Views effort as the path to growth
Welcomes feedback as fuel for progress
Understanding this isn’t just about self-awareness. It’s about building cultures — at work and beyond — that reward curiosity, not just competence.
Why It Matters More Than Ever
Adaptability
The business landscape is evolving daily. New tools, technologies, and economic realities mean that yesterday’s skills may not solve today’s challenges. A growth mindset helps individuals and teams adjust quickly, experiment bravely, and move forward with clarity.
Resilience
Growth-minded organizations don’t fear failure. They expect it — and they plan for it. Resilience isn’t just about bouncing back; it’s about learning through the bounce.
Innovation
When failure isn’t feared, creativity flourishes. Teams that feel safe to try, fail, and iterate build breakthrough solutions faster and more often.
Continuous Learning
The most successful people and businesses are no longer the ones who know the most — they’re the ones who are best at learning. A growth mindset makes learning habitual, not reactive.
A Client Story: Mindset Is More Than a Moment
One of our clients — a mid-sized organization undergoing a major leadership restructure — brought us in to lead a Growth Mindset workshop. They were sunsetting roles, launching new ones, and experiencing significant growing pains. The fear of the unknown was quietly derailing momentum.
The workshop helped. Leaders began to reframe change as opportunity. Conversations opened up. People engaged with the idea that discomfort might be a signal for growth, not danger.
But when we asked, “How will you carry this forward?” the room fell silent.
They hadn’t thought about growth mindset as anything more than a training topic.
That moment became the turning point. We worked together to move from event-based mindset work to culture-based integration — coaching leaders to make growth a part of meetings, metrics, and milestones.
Mindset became more than something they learned. It became who they were becoming.
Falling in Love with Learning (Again)
This is the real opportunity: helping teams and leaders rediscover the joy of learning.
Not the checkbox kind of learning. Not the “professional development credit” kind of learning. But the kind that makes people say:
“I’m different today because I engaged with this challenge.”
That’s the growth mindset advantage. It doesn’t just make you better at your job. It makes you better equipped for whatever comes next.
Want to Start the Shift?
If this resonated with you, here are a few ways to begin:
Ask deeper questions in meetings. Not just “what went wrong,” but “what did we learn?”
Recognize growth behavior — not just outcomes.
Make space for learning in the day-to-day, not just once a year.
Bring in an outside partner (like Diversity of Thought) to facilitate lasting transformation.
Because growth mindset isn’t just something you talk about.
It’s something you live.
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