I first encountered the concept of growth mindset while getting my master’s in education, a few years after Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset, had started making waves. At the time, it felt like we’d discovered a cheat code for learning—one that could help students push through challenges and persist, or even triumph, when things got tough.

And while a growth mindset is undoubtedly a game-changer for kids, I’d argue it’s just as crucial for leaders today—maybe even more so.

The world of work is chaotic as heck. Economic uncertainty is everywhere you look. Industries are shifting in real time. Even the federal government is in a state of flux. With 40% of job skills expected to change by 2030 (World Economic Forum), learning and adaptability aren’t just assets—they’re survival skills.

A growth mindset won’t solve everything, but in a season of uncertainty and change, it can be a powerful differentiator for both employees and organizations.

What’s a Growth Mindset?

At its core, a growth mindset is the belief that intelligence and abilities are malleable—they can be developed with effort and input from others. It’s the antidote to a fixed mindset, which assumes that talents and intelligence are innate and unchangeable.

The best part? People with a growth mindset actually learn more and perform better than those with a fixed one.

When we understand we have the power to change our brains, we become more open to challenges, more engaged, more persistent when things get tough, and ultimately, we learn and grow more. Check out the research!

And here’s the thing: a growth mindset gets stronger the more you employ it.

So, How Can You Start Adopting a Growth Mindset?

1. Try it out in a low-stakes environment.

When Ei runs our Growth Mindset workshop, we begin with a simple request: “Take 30 seconds and draw a person.”

For many people, this sparks instant resistance. I’m not an artist. I can’t draw.

But after a quick lesson, they surprise themselves with how much they can improve in a short time. It turns out, drawing—something many adults assume they’ll never get better at—is a perfect opportunity to start building a growth mindset.

This exercise works because, for most of the people we work with, being good at drawing isn’t critical to their success. The stakes are low, which creates the safety needed to experiment.

So, ask yourself: What’s something you’re not great at, that doesn’t really matter in your life or work, that you could try to improve this week? Start there.

2. Learn to spot a fixed mindset.

Like any other habit you want to change, you have to recognize it before you can shift it. So start paying attention:

• What do you tell yourself (or others) you’re just not good at?

• When do you feel most discouraged during your typical day or week?

• Is there a task or project that doesn’t feel worth your effort?

The answers will give you clues to the places ripe for a reframe.

Specifically, examine your approach to challenges, mistakes, and feedback. The most growth-oriented leaders I know (and I’m thinking of everyone from my 4th-grade soccer coach to successful business leaders like Disney’s Bob Iger) embrace big challenges, see mistakes as opportunities to learn, and actively seek feedback.

If you want to increase your own growth mindset, you have to work at your approach to this trifecta.

3. Reframe towards growth.

Once you recognize where and when your fixed mindset shows up, you can start shifting it. Think of it like a muscle—you have to flex it to develop it.

One of the simplest tools? Adding the word “yet.”

I’m not good at public speaking. → I’m not good at public speaking… yet.

That tiny shift changes everything. Try it—where can you add a “yet” in your life?

How Can Organizations Embed a Growth Mindset Into Their Culture?

This is a question we explore in the second half of our Growth Mindset workshop. We help teams brainstorm practical ways to shift how they collectively approach that same trifecta of challenges, mistakes, and feedback—transforming those moments into opportunities to learn and improve together.

The ideas can be big or small, but they should always be concrete and actionable, for example:

• Embracing challenges through stretch projects. A manager looking to help their team take on bigger challenges might incorporate a stretch-project brainstorm into quarterly goal setting or professional development conversations.

• Reframing mistakes with after-action reviews. A department might hold regular debriefs to discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what they’ll try next time. These conversations help teams see missteps as useful data, not failures, reinforcing the value of learning at every stage.

• Embedding feedback into workflows. An organization might create a Slack or Teams channel for sharing more consistent, positive feedback or adopt the sh*tty first draft approach to invite feedback earlier in the creative process.

It’s about creating an environment where learning, experimenting, and evolving aren’t just encouraged—they’re embedded in how the organization operates. Over time, that mindset fuels creativity, innovation, and resilience—helping teams navigate uncertainty and stay ahead.

Growth Mindset as the Foundation for Learning and Development

For L&D Leaders, we’ve noticed there is a bonus reason to focus on fostering a growth mindset in your employees and your culture: when your team members develop the openness to learning that comes with a growth mindset, every other L&D initiative lands on fertile ground. Upskilling becomes easier, and new behaviors stick.