Growth or Fixed Mindset? It depends

‘Growth Mindset is better than Fixed Mindset’ is, in itself, a fixed mindset statement.

Psychologist Carol Dweck first described the concept of growth mindset in her 2006 book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, which was based on her c30-years of research into children’s development.

Since it became popularised, the idea that everyone must have a growth mindset in order to succeed in life and in business has permeated almost every facet of management training and philosophy. Having a Fixed Mindset is akin to having some sort of social disease; an identity of failure and, worse, a belief that fixed mindset people have no drive, ambition or ability to change their contributions.

A quick Google search – or even an image search – will show you a range of statements, which are invariably evangelising the benefits of Growth Mindset (“I learn from feedback“; “I’m inspired by other’s success” etc.) and the abject failures of a Fixed Mindset (“I avoid challenges“; “I expect reward without effort” etc.).

Rubbish.

As with all things psychological, the answer is never binary or simple.
We are complex and nuanced animals. Why would the inner workings, motivations, cognition, and how we relate to others be anything less than complex and nuanced too?

It depends.

In personality psychology, Growth vs Fixed sits on a correlative dimension of Openness to Experience (or simply Openness), with low (Fixed) at one end and high (Growth) at the other. We all reside on this spectrum.

There are no bad personality dimensions. Their impact, and the benefits and drawbacks they bring depend on the situation and context we are in at that time. As any psychologist will (should) say to any answer about our perception and cognition, “It depends.”

High Openness (Growth Mindset)

There are potential benefits of high openness/growth mindset.

People high in openness are more likely to generate new ideas, think outside the box, and have creative pursuits. They’re eager to learn, develop their intelligence through experiences, and tend to be more comfortable and understanding when navigating different cultural contexts.

But there are potential pitfalls.

High openness is linked with fantasy and daydreaming; being lost in ideas, which can lead to a lack of tangible action or decision making. The ideas are more interesting than their implementation.

With openness to these ideas, practicality and decisiveness might be natural victims. Growth mindset might translate as “easily distracted”.

With this natural inquisitiveness, seeking of new experiences, and being open to influence, High Openness individuals might also engage in risky behaviours – even including substance consumption and promiscuity – without considering the consequences fully. In some cases, their unconventional approaches might make it harder to maintain their own identity or minimise their social discomfort, which can also increase the likelihood of being influenced by others or the contexts they find themselves in.

Low Openness (Fixed Mindset)

As with High Openness/Growth Mindset, there are both benefits and drawbacks depending on the situation and context.

Individuals with low openness might be viewed as rigid, routine and unwilling to try new things. Indeed, this is likely true. These individuals tend to prefer structure, certainty and practicality. They tend to make decisions rooted in evidence and pragmatism, and, in environments that are stable, they tend to display a strong work and consistent work ethic.

These individuals are open to new ideas and trying novel approaches – but the entry barrier for them to decide to try those new things tends to be higher. They might need more convincing of the reality and practicalities of the new approach before committing to it.

Yes, there are also potential drawbacks. Their tendency to be resistant to change without that persuading evidence might mean that they are perceived as having a lack of creativity, adaptability or limited perspectives. They may have difficulty connecting with people who have diverse perspectives or lifestyles due to their preference for familiarity. 

No right answer

Considering the benefits that low openness can bring in appropriate contexts, the premise that “growth mindset > fixed mindset” is clearly incorrect.

There are times when embracing change, challenging the status quo and being inquisitive are superpowers.

Similarly, we should recognise that the ability to take those ideas and make them tangible and real, to consider the practicalities of a situation, and to work diligently towards a goal are equally valid as superpowers.

A team of high Openness, high Extraversion individuals might seem productive.
They love nothing more that getting together – in-person or virtually – and bouncing ideas back and forth. Their social and ideological itches get scratched.

But without individuals who can “put the meat on the bones” – who can take those ideas and implement them – those ideas will remain in the realm of fantasy.

Similarly, having individuals whom are able to challenge norms, see opportunity and to flex approaches can breathe fresh approaches into groups who might live by the mantra: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.“

This is the balance in diversity.

Viewing one group of people (or a group of people with comparable traits) as superior is rarely a route to inclusion. We are complex. The world in which we live is complex. And it takes all of us playing to our natural strengths to help navigate that complexity together.

Personality traits and different cognition processing have developed, evolved and endured in our populations for a reason. There are benefits to these – even when it might not feel that those benefits are apparent.

Remember: It takes many flowers to make a garden.