Using Growth Mindset to Change the World
A journey from seeking approval to taking control.
Eleven years ago, I watched a short video that changed my life.
It’s Steve Jobs sharing a profound insight. He said, “Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it. You can influence it… The minute you can understand that you can poke life and something will pop out the other side. You can change it. You can mold it. That may be the most important thing.”
Here it is:
That one-and-a-half-minute video changed the way I look at life.
I realized I'd been following too many rules and looking for validation from others. It was the reason I went to school for my B.Com.—because I thought I needed it for credibility in business. It’s why, too often, I was trying to understand how our competitors were operating so we could try to outdo them at their game.
That video was like a lightning bolt waking me up from my zombie-like existence.
I realized that, at my core, I hate following rules. It makes me unhappy. I hate constraints and status quo. I hate seeking approval from others. I hate clichés and predictable movies.
And, even more importantly, I was inspired that I had a blank canvas called life. I could imagine a new way of doing things, and no one could stop me.
There is no authority watching this performance and giving us a score on how well we coloured inside the lines.
It reminds me of the concept of Locus of Control, which says: some people see the events in their life as outside of their control, while others believe they’re mostly responsible for their results. Some believe the world happens to them. Others believe they happen to the world.
If you go through life accepting the boundaries people impose on you, you’ll live a constrained existence, asking for approval before taking action. Sometimes, rules and constraints need to be questioned, challenged, resisted, and broken.
Since watching that video, I’ve leaned into my instinct for reinvention.
If you bring me a rule or requirement, I’ll respond with a “Why?”
Why can’t I park there? Why can’t I talk about religion and politics? Why do agencies need to charge hourly rates? Why do salespeople need commissions?
This can drive my team crazy sometimes, but it also forces everyone to think about alternative ways of doing things. This can lead to using "How Might We” exercises to reimagine our action plans, which can lead to more productive ideas.
I believe we’re responsible for every action we take, including our choices whether to follow or break the rules. If the rules don’t make sense, maybe it’s worth challenging them. If the status quo doesn’t fit the changing environment, maybe we try a different approach.
The other related concept is Self-Efficacy. This is the strength of your belief in your ability to complete tasks and reach goals. If you have high Self-Efficacy, you believe in yourself and your ability to do what you set out to do.
I believed from early on that I’m mostly responsible for my outcomes and that I have the ability to learn and accomplish things. Steve Jobs’ video was a reminder of those core beliefs.
My business decisions became more expansive and interesting after that, and my life decisions definitely became more self-directed rather than following others’ expectations. This willingness to question norms is why we were able to challenge norms at Widerfunnel, as I wrote about in a previous article on Resonance. We challenged “best practices” and created a unique type of agency that hadn’t been attempted before.
Those who can develop an internal Locus of Control and believe in their Self-efficacy can have what Carol Dweck calls a Growth Mindset. With this mindset, obstacles and challenges look more like opportunities for learning and growth.
You want a mindset like Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx (and now, Sneex!)
Before becoming the world's youngest self-made female billionaire, Sara faced numerous rejections from potential manufacturers and investors who couldn't see the potential in her idea for footless pantyhose. Instead of being discouraged, she saw each rejection as an opportunity to refine her pitch and product. Growing up, Sara’s father had encouraged her to celebrate failure at the dinner table, asking about her failures and what she learned from them instead of only highlighting successes. This upbringing instilled in her a growth mindset that became the cornerstone of her entrepreneurial journey.
Her father instilled in her a Growth Mindset.
It turns out that when you have a Growth Mindset and believe your intelligence and abilities can change, it becomes true.
It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
And that belief in your ability creates greater resilience and motivation to overcome challenges, which leads to a higher likelihood of success. It’s an upward spiral.
For me, revisiting that video every couple of years is a good reminder that I’m still in the driver's seat of my life. I will accept my responsibility to decide what I want out of life and how to accomplish it.
What’s your Perspective?
How does Growth Mindset show up for you?
Where do you sit on the Self-Efficacy and Locus of Control spectrum?
How do you balance rule following with self-determination?
