Can the secret to success be summed up in a three-letter word?
Well, mostly.
And the word is… “yet.”
It requires some explanation as to why “yet” is such an important word, so please be patient with me.
Earlier this year, I had the honor of speaking at the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Conference in Dallas, Texas. I was even more honored because my co-presenter was Dr. Carol Dweck, world-renowned researcher and the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University.
Me and Dr. Carol Dweck
Dr. Dweck’s research has centered around the themes of human motivation and development. She’s come up with a theory of the fixed vs. growth mindset, which has been proven by numerous studies.
Why effort matters more than ability
Essentially, Dr Dweck’s theory predicts who will be successful over the long term and who won’t. I know, that’s a pretty big claim to make, but she has three decades of research to back her up.
Here’s a summary of the theory:
- People with a fixed mindset generally believe that their skills and abilities are fixed and won’t improve much, even with practice.
- Fixed mindsetters focus on the end result more than the process of development.
- Fixed mindsetters often focus on factors that are beyond their control, e.g. bad luck, unfortunate circumstances, unkind bosses, bad parents.
- In contrast, growth mindsetters generally believe that no matter what their skill or ability level now, they can improve with effort.
- Growth mindsetters focus on the process and the journey, instead of merely being concerned about the outcome.
- Growth mindsetters focus on factors that are within their control, e.g. effort, attitude, choices.
I still remember when I received my first “hate” mail.