Home > Talent Insights Blog > Leadership Development > Growth Mindset: A Growing Interest

Growth Mindset: A Growing Interest

Authored by: Garrick Throckmorton Garrick Throckmorton

Search engine analytics are fascinating. Within a few seconds, you can visualize the frequency, time, and even location of where search terms are used around the world and look into the collective curiosities of mankind! Recently, we were curious to know how searches for the practice “growth mindset” have changed over time. We found the use of this search term has indeed increased substantially over the past 5 years as research has validated the clear advantages of having a growth mindset, versus a fixed mindset. As one point to consider, in October 2015, this term was searched for 22,000 times (typical for 2015), but last month (September 2019), it was searched for 74,000 times!

The Growing Interest in a Growth Mindset

Our theory is that search engine curiosity has followed research validating the importance of having a growth mindset. Validation through research has simply driven an increased appetite for understanding this practice by the general public. What is a growth mindset? Why does having a growth mindset matter? How can I develop a growth mindset?

In the same manner, our KSA Suite of Tools and supporting performance libraries were built by always following the research. Each of our roles and practices were included if proven to drive effectiveness at a particular level. Said otherwise, if a term was popular, but not supported by research, it was excluded. So what is a growth mindset, and why does it matter?

Simply stated, a growth mindset expects success. It sees a positive ROI in person, team, and enterprise growth and development. When failure occurs, those with a growth mindset see it as an opportunity that paves new roads to success. It includes optimism, grit, and openness. As a leader in an organization, having a growth mindset can be absolutely vital. We are leading in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous business environment. These VUCA elements alone demonstrate that a leader who develops a growth mindset has the ability see each shift in the environment as an opportunity. They are able to more effectively lead others through change as a result, and build a level of trust in their relative (compared to fixed mindsets) comfort operating in this VUCA business landscape.

Interested in learning more about developing or hiring for a growth mindset? Our development material is full of content and action plans to get started.

TalentTelligent Interactive Brochure
Launch the TalentTelligent Interactive Brochure

Schedule a Consultation

Schedule a Consultation Directly with our Team to learn about how our 360 Survey can be used in your organization.