In September of 2009, the day for my climb of Mt. Rainier had finally arrived. All the preparation and training I did (few people climb Mailbox for fun) had come down to this moment. Our team was smaller than the day before; 3 people didn’t make it to Camp Muir. But those who did huddled in the shelter and listened to the winds howling outside. We put on our gear and got ready to head for the top of the mountain.

Part way across the first snowfield, I saw a flash that I thought might be from a camera. When I saw a second flash moments later, I realized it was lightening. My desire to return to safety quickly replaced my desire to summit and I was paired with another guide to take me back to the shelter. Within 5 minutes, all 4 rope teams turned around due to the electricity in the air. We descended back to Paradise wearing crampons over the snow field that had frozen into ice.

After we made it back to the basecamp, we debriefed the climb with our leader. We talked about what we had learned, and he shared that he didn’t reach the summit until the 5^th attempt on the mountain. Rather than leave us with the impression that we would never succeed, he got us thinking about how much better equipped we were to take on the challenge. Rather than seeing this as a failure, I left with a growth mindset by viewing the setback as an opportunity to learn from the experience. Our guides story got me thinking of ways I could take on this challenge again.

Stanford Psychology Professor Carol Dweck studies motivation, personality, and development. She has identified two types of mindsets: People with growth mindsets believe that intelligence, skills, and abilities can be developed. They enjoy challenges, strive to learn, and consistently see potential to develop new skills. Conversely, people with fixed mindsets view talent as a quality that they have or do not have. 

In her research, Dweck has found “organizations with growth mindsets build cultures that are more collaborative and innovative. Managers and leaders with growth mindsets are willing to invest in the development of their employees. They don’t fear setbacks or failures. They tell stories that demonstrate a growth mindset.  I once worked with an executive who told a story of how a demo he was responsible for crashed during a television broadcast. While he heard about it at the time, the company still believed in him enough to keep and promote him. It was refreshing to hear a leader share his own mistakes and how he learned from them.

So how can you cultivate this type of mindset? In her article on td.org, Claire Von Ins suggests signs of a learning mindset. One of my favorite approaches is to learn by embracing new challenges; when I have new experiences, like climbing, I’m able to stay open to what I’m learning. I can take these lessons and apply them to situations where I am challenged more with performance goals and a fixed mindset. I also get inspiration when I learn from others.

What is your favorite approach to cultivating a learning mindset? How can ATD Puget Sound encourage the development of a growth mindset? I’d love to hear from you.

Keep on learning!

Janet Williams Hepler