As a recruiter I know attitude is more important than IQ
New research from Stanford University agrees with what most of us already know. A high IQ helps to make someone successful but a high IQ does not equal success.
Psychologist Carol Dweck’s latest study shows that your attitude is a better predictor of your success than your IQ.
Dweck found that people’s core attitudes fall into one of two categories: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.
With a fixed mindset, you believe you are who you are and you can’t change. This creates problems when you’re challenged because anything that appears to be more than you can handle is bound to make you feel hopeless and overwhelmed.
People with a growth mindset however believe that they can improve with effort. They outperform those with a fixed mindset, even when they have a lower IQ, because they embrace challenges, treating them as opportunities to learn something new.
Common sense would suggest that having ability, like being smart, inspires confidence. It does, but only while the going is easy. The deciding factor in life is how you handle setbacks and challenges. People with a growth mindset welcome setbacks with open arms. They see failure as an opportunity to learn. They think, ‘This didn’t work, and I’m a problem solver, so I’ll try something else.’” Even some AFL teams coach using this approach.
The good news is that you can develop a Growth Mindset. To follow are strategies that will help.
Don’t stay helpless. When you fall down or back – get up. Consider these people; Henry Ford had two failed car companies prior to succeeding with Ford, and Steven Spielberg was rejected by USC’s Cinematic Arts School multiple times. Imagine what would have happened if any of these people had a fixed mindset. They would have succumbed to the rejection and given up hope. People with a growth mindset don’t feel helpless because they know that in order to be successful, you need to be willing to fail hard and then bounce right back.
Be passionate. Empowered people pursue their passions relentlessly. There’s always going to be someone who’s more naturally talented than you are, but what you may lack in talent, you can make up for in passion.
Take action. It’s not that people with a growth mindset are able to overcome their fears because they are braver than the rest of us; it’s just that they know fear and anxiety are paralyzing emotions and that the best way to overcome this paralysis is to take action. Taking action turns all your worry and concern about failure into positive, focused energy.
Then go the extra mile. Give it your all, if you are not learning then you’re most likely getting a little worse. The older I get the more I like to learn, because the older I get the more I realise there is so much more to discover and do.
Don’t complain when things don’t go your way. Complaining is an obvious sign of a fixed mindset. A growth mindset looks for opportunity in everything, so there’s no room for complaints.
Expect results. People with a growth mindset know that they’re going to fail from time to time, but they never let that keep them from expecting results. Expecting results keeps you motivated and feeds the cycle of empowerment. After all, if you don’t think you’re going to succeed, then why bother? The same applies when looking for a new job. Picture the perfect role and go for it. Good luck!
