Mindsets have been on my mind lately.

About 30 years ago, Dr. Carol Dweck of Stanford University noticed something interesting about students’ attitudes about failure.


Some students faced failure and rebounded with ease while other students seemed devastated by even the smallest setbacks. 

After studying the behavior of thousands of children, Dr. Dweck coined the terms “fixed mindset” and “growth mindset” to describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence.

And here comes the remarkable. Kids (and adults) with a growth mindset – the belief that intellectual abilities are not fixed, but can be developed – do better.

Even more: a simple, one-hour growth mindset intervention (at a cost not more than $1 per student) can produce a significant jump in grades for the entire class.


In essence, if you believe you can grow your intellectual abilities, you do. And if you believe they are given to you by God or the DNA, you don’t.

Amazing, right? 

Now, take the same question of attitude and apply it to change. 

In our work with thousands of business professionals around the world, we see the SAME pattern.

The way you see change – your attitude towards the disruption – defines your success in dealing with it.


See change as your enemy – and surely there will be a long and bloody war. See it as your friend – and suddenly you are riding the waves of change towards new and better things.

It’s simple.

But, as it often happens, ‘simple’ does not mean ‘easy.’

So, to help you get to simple, we have studied the essential properties of the productive Reinvention Mindset.


And today I want to share 3 essential beliefs that make up the foundation of a healthy relationship to change. 

It all comes down to core ideas, core views we hold as “truths” in our life:


1. Belief #1 is all about the frequency of change. Do you (or your employees) think change is a rare event – or an everyday part of life?  

Seeing change as rare makes people less open and prepared for a need to try new things – as unconsciously they wait for the disruption “to blow over” and come back to “business as usual.”


2. Belief #2 is all about the best response to change. Fight it or use it?

That shift makes all the difference when new products, services, or processes are introduced inside the organization – or when an external disruption comes your way.


3. Belief #3 focuses on your innate ability to use change productively. Is it a rare talent available only to a few? Or is everyone a native-born reinventor?

When I believe only some can use change to reinvent, I am more likely to disengage, become reactive and resistant, and don’t have any ownership of the transformation effort.


These three markers, three essential beliefs that makeup Reinvention Mindset make or break organizational ability to change. 

And they are also a great predictor of one’s personal success in life.

That’s why when I got an honor to serve as a graduation speaker at my alma mater, Hartwick College, these three ideas, three simple truths, where the essence of my message

I hope they can serve you, your company, and your kids as well. 

After all, it’s graduation season 😉



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