Growth mindset is old news. applying it is not

Growth mindset is old news. applying it is not

I remember doing a training on growth mindset years ago, when I was a manager at Sainsbury’s.

At the time, it felt quietly radical. Not because the ideas were complex, but because they challenged something deeply ingrained. The need to appear competent. The fear of getting it wrong. The habit of equating capability with identity.

The core idea, popularised by Carol Dweck, was simple. Skills are not fixed. Ability is not static. Learning happens when we stay open rather than defensive.

Fast forward to today and “growth mindset” has become a familiar phrase. Added to leadership frameworks. Put on slides. Sometimes reduced to little more than “try harder” dressed up as psychology.

But when growth mindset is lived rather than labelled, it is still incredibly powerful.

Where growth mindset really shows up

I see it most clearly in two places.

At home, with children. When mistakes are treated as information rather than failure. When effort is noticed, not just outcomes. When curiosity is protected rather than rushed. Learning accelerates naturally.

And at work, particularly with leaders.

Growth mindset is not about forced positivity. It shows up in how leaders respond when they do not know, when something fails, or when reality contradicts their plan.

Do they get defensive or curious?
Do they protect their identity or update their thinking?
Do they shut learning down or create space for it?

These moments reveal far more than any leadership statement.

Why growth mindset matters more now

In an environment shaped by AI, uncertainty, and constant change, this capability matters more than ever. Not because leaders need to endlessly adapt, but because learning itself has become a visible part of leadership.

The ability to learn in public.
To revise assumptions.
To invite challenge rather than avoid it.

These are no longer optional traits. They are core leadership skills.

Growth mindset is not about saying, “I can do anything”.

It is about being able to say, “I do not know yet, but I am willing to learn.”

That applies just as much in boardrooms as it does in classrooms.

I am curious how others are experiencing this. Where do you see growth mindset genuinely lived, and where has it become little more than a slogan?

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