In the process of writing my book “Leading With Wisdom: Sage Advice from 100 Experts,” I spent several years interviewing some of the top thinkers in the field of leadership. Since I enjoy the process, I seek out sages wherever and whenever I find them. Recently, I had the chance to interview David Bradford, a professor at Stanford University for decades and now a senior lecturer in leadership, emeritus. My main question to him was how to best prepare people to be the kinds of leaders needed in these uncertain times. 

Bradford responded by saying: “The crucial dimension for leaders, and actually everyone, is the ability and willingness to learn in order to fully use our potential. Most of us prevent ourselves from learning because of the fear of making mistakes or our ego and worrying about how others will perceive us.  

“We should take on 15 percent more risk than our comfort level. That would encourage us to keep learning.” 

At a time when the field of leadership is exploding with books, articles and consultants, I ask sages about what or whose work inspires them. Without hesitation, Bradford advised me to read the book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” written by Carol Dweck, his colleague at Stanford. After reading her book, I realized it is for anyone who leads others, and it also is important for understanding oneself.  

Based on extensive research, the book focuses on two mindsets. Dweck believes which “view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.” The fixed mindset believes “I am who I am” and  that personal qualities are carved in stone. The growth mindset believes you can learn: “I can’t do that yet, but I will learn to do so.”  

Dweck explains the possibilities of transitioning from the fixed mindset to the growth mindset.  The fixed mindset is focused on judging: “This means I am a better person than they are.” “He or she is smart and should be promoted.”  

With the fixed mindset, every piece of information is labeled with a very strong evaluation. People with the fixed mindset do not want to get out of their comfort zone because they don’t want to disappoint, make mistakes or be perceived as not in control.  In contrast, the growth mindset is not about judging, but about learning. “What can I learn from this?” “How can I help my team improve performance?” “What are the opportunities for learning and growth today?” Dweck explains in the book that we can change our mindset, but it is not easy:  “It’s about seeing things in a new way. When people — couples, coaches and athletes, managers and workers, parents and children, teachers and students — change to a growth mindset, they change from a judge-and-be-judged framework to a learn-and-help-learn framework. Their commitment is to growth, and growth takes plenty of time, effort and mutual support.”

Bradford says it is important to understand these mindsets because the world is changing so quickly. Unless we have a growth mindset and are committed to learning, we will be soon outdated.  

Survival in a rapidly changing economy depends on a learning orientation. Bradford reinforced what Jim Collins made popular by saying, “Good is the enemy of great. We can get by, by being good, but we won’t be great unless we build in feedback systems for improvement.  

“Organizations need to build a climate in departments and teams committed to and supportive of everyone’s growth. People need to learn how to give feedback for growth. They don’t realize the costs of not giving honest feedback: low morale, lower productivity and higher turnover.”

When we look at life with a growth mindset, we can learn to fulfill our potential at work, home and in other aspects of life. What is your mindset?