Book Review: Success Is All In Your Mind(set)
Book Title and Edition: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Reprint Edition.
Author: Dr. Carol Dweck, PhD
Condensed Review/Thesis: Success - or lack thereof - is all in your mind: with the right mindset, you can finally see the results you want.
Author's Background: Dr. Dweck, psychologist, Stanford professor, and author is a pioneering researcher into the field of motivation. "Saddened" by wasted potential, she seeks to help people learn how to foster greater success in their lives and work.
Intended Audience: Educators, parents, coaches, and business leaders. The book is oft-used in the teaching field - and business leaders are increasingly catching on to its power.
Larry's Two Cents: The crux of Mindset is that there are two kinds of people: those with a "fixed" mindset and those with a "growth" mindset. Those with a fixed mindset believe their intelligence is, well, fixed. They're concerned with looking smart and, to keep up appearances, they avoid challenges that may result in failure. They give up easily because setbacks might hurt their self-image; and they see hard work and effort as a waste because, hey, they either have enough talent and brains to make it or they don't.
Folks with a growth mindset believe their >intelligence is malleable; their minds can be developed. They don't care about "looking" smart; they care, deeply, about learning. This intense desire leads them to embrace challenges, persist against setbacks, and view hard work as a chance to improve and grow. Through her research, Dweck has found that the difference between those who succeed and those who do not comes down to this one factor: mindset.
Mindset is both practical and tactical. You'll see how growth and fixed mindsets impact your performance at work and in your relationships. Better yet, you'll learn how to develop and leverage a growth mindset to achieve greater success. And fear not: it may sound corny on the surface, but this book isn't hippy-dippy. Dweck's work is based on decades of scientific research, much of which she references throughout the book.
Bottom line: Mindset is a damn good book. Read it if you want to succeed - and if you don't want to succeed, you're in the wrong place.
Tip: All of these chapters are entertaining and offer useful learning opportunities. But if you're in a time crunch, you won't miss anything huge if you skip sections that don't apply to you.
When To Read This Book: If you don't have a STRONG desire for continuous learning and improvement, you and your company will stagnate.