BackAdopting a Growth MindsetMay 1, 2025I have learned about the term or the concept of Growth Mindset officially only when I was almost 30 years old, after 2020.Yet, I think this is something that should be introduced to many more people in education and workplace earlier in their career.If I were to go back, I would educate myself about Growth Mindset earlier in my life. I can't do that. But I can educate about Growth Mindset to other people who I cross with who are maybe earlier in their career or life.Why did I come across Growth Mindset so late?I'm not sure why it is not taught more officially earlier.But looking at some dates:

• A lot of this research was done in the 2000s
• It became more recognized in the late 2000s or 2010s. And you have to consider those ideas take time to spread and become recognized.

So actually I had already finished my formal education by the time it got more broadly recognized.I think a lot of educators have some version of it and you can somehow feel it throughout the education system even if it is not explicitly mentioned to the students.To officially teach it maybe it would need to fall under school's teaching philosophy, or meta learning (learning how to learn).What is Growth Mindset?Growth Mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, hard work, and learning. This contrasts with a fixed mindset, which believes talents and intelligence are static traits you're born with.Here are some of the primary resources to learn more about Growth Mindset:

• Video: Carol Dweck's TED Talk "The Power of Believing You Can Improve"
• Book: "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol Dweck
• Microsoft learning content: Develop a growth mindset

Those resources are already good and cover the basics, and there are many more resources online, so I will not repeat these again in this article but will focus on my interpretations.Why Growth Mindset is so impactfulMy interpretation of why Growth Mindset is so powerful is because Growth Mindset is essentially a belief.Belief shapes people's values.Values shape people's behavior.With such belief, the values that become valued are things like hard work, learning opportunities, and embracing challenges.People with such values tend to explore new things, able to take more risks and recover from failures.As a thought exercise, take a moment to think "what if anything can be learned and done?" This opens so many opportunities and possibilities.Why Growth Mindset matters for startupsI work mostly in startups, so I am biased on this category.Growth Mindset plays well for startups because:

• Startups need to learn quickly and continuously: This is essential for the startup to retain competitiveness and growth. Growth Mindset enables the team to learn quickly and continuously.
• Navigating uncertainty: Startup's planning cycle is short, and things change all the time. The only constant is change. Growth Mindset embraces unknowns and challenges as opportunities and fuels adaptability.
• Resilience: No matter how adaptive or fast learning you are, you will always encounter failure. A Growth Mindset understands that this is just part of the process, that it is not about getting things perfect but making progress.

Many larger businesses have recognized the benefits of it and are adopting Growth Mindset. Microsoft is the famous case study of successfully adopting Growth Mindset in a large organization. Another way to say it is organizations like Microsoft are becoming more like startups.Practicing Growth MindsetPick an activity to go with Growth MindsetGrowth Mindset is like the rich soil where it creates the conditions for growth but you need to choose what to plant and grow. You practice Growth Mindset through real-world activities like completing specific projects or achieving personal goals.A continuous practiceGrowth Mindset is not something you learn once and are done with. Like working out, it requires regular practice to maintain and strengthen.Without consistent effort, we can easily fall back into fixed mindset habits, especially when facing challenges.The key is to make Growth Mindset a daily practice, turning each obstacle into an opportunity for development.A Growth Mindset environmentIt is easier to practice Growth Mindset in an environment that embraces Growth Mindset because you will be influenced and reminded on a daily basis.If everybody around you is onboarded and educated on this, you don't need to spend time explaining why you're doing certain things. It is the norm and everyone gets it.ClosingI've given you the why I think Growth Mindset is so impactful and suggestions on how to think about it and how to practice it.Below are some final thoughts to go together with Growth Mindset:

• Be curious: Follow where your curiosity brings you. This is usually what fuels new discoveries.
• Feel empowered: You can learn anything. You don't need permission to do it, so just go ahead and learn it.
• Be ambitious: Other than physical limits such as time, I think ambition and confidence are the two theoretical limits one has, so it's impactful to set those high.