The book I read was “Mindset” by Carol Dweck. The book is a
fascinating look at how we think and how it affects our opinion of ourselves
and others. The general premise of the book is that personal growth is a
choice. A person can choose to limit themselves by viewing skills and abilities
as fixed or predetermined and out of one’s control to change, or choose to
endure discomfort to learn something new. Those who choose not to engage in personal
development are said to have a fixed mindset. Those who believe that people can
further develop their abilities have a growth mindset.
The theme of the book has a direct bearing on what we are
learning in ENT3003. Entrepreneurship is problem solving. A key component of
problem solving is the ability to look at problems as opportunities. A person
with a fixed mindset usually will see a problem as just that, a problem.
However, a person with a growth mindset will look at a problem as a challenge
to overcome. The growth mindset involves accepting failure as a natural part of
the learning process. In fact, failure is essential to learning. No one learns anything
when they do something perfectly with ease.
If I were to design an exercise for the class based on what
I learned in the book, I would ask the instructor to have the students research
what it would take to make another students’ business idea work. Students would
assess the strengths and weaknesses they see in the execution of the
entrepreneurial process of the proposed business. This type of feedback would
be extremely helpful for the beginning entrepreneur.
One of the biggest ‘aha’ moments that I had when reading the
book was when the author emphasized the importance of forgiveness. Forgiveness
and personal growth are not usually connected. People carry around a lot of
baggage because they were hurt when they were younger. As a result, a person
becomes defensive and unwilling to place themselves in a position to be hurt
again. By erecting a shield, the person virtually traps themselves into having
a fixed mindset that leads to stagnation. By forgiving those who hurt you,
intentionally or not, an individual can free themselves to experience the pain
necessary to grow. Moreover, the person then takes responsibility for their own
thoughts and feelings which makes it even easier to have a growth mindset.
I am reminded of something I have read many times, “As a man
thinks he is in his heart, so he is”.
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