Fixed Mindset: A Hidden Barrier to Transformation

One of the greatest barriers to meaningful change is not external—it’s internal. A fixed mindset can silently sabotage transformation efforts, whether at the individual, team, or organisational level. Leaders with a fixed mindset believe their skills and intelligence are static, avoiding challenges that might expose perceived inadequacies. This belief system stifles innovation, creates resistance, and undermines progress.

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right."  – Henry Ford

I’ve experienced this firsthand. Growing up, I avoided ball sports entirely. I convinced myself that I simply wasn’t good at them and never would be. Whether it was avoiding the football field or standing far back during gym class, I let my fixed mindset dictate my actions. It wasn’t until years later, playing catch with my son, that I realised how deeply ingrained this belief was. While I told him, “You just need more practice,” I had spent my own life avoiding any chance to improve.

This moment led me to reflect on how fixed mindsets operate in the workplace. What I’d seen as a personal limitation mirrored behaviours I encountered in digital transformation projects. Leaders and teams, afraid of stepping outside their comfort zones, held back progress, stalled innovation, and resisted feedback. This tendency isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a systemic one.

How Fixed Mindsets Derail Transformation

A fixed mindset doesn’t just impact an individual; it creates a ripple effect that can derail entire transformation efforts. Here’s how it manifests:

1. Avoidance of Challenges

Leaders or teams with fixed mindsets may shy away from ambitious projects, fearing failure or embarrassment. Instead of exploring bold ideas, they stick to safe, predictable options that reinforce the status quo.

2. Resistance to Feedback

A fixed mindset interprets constructive criticism as a personal attack. This leads to defensiveness, missed opportunities for growth, and ultimately, a stagnation of innovation.

3. Fear of Risk

Change is inherently risky, but for those with a fixed mindset, the fear of failure can paralyse decision-making. They avoid taking the leaps necessary for transformation.

4. Limited Collaboration

Teams led by individuals with fixed mindsets often experience a lack of open communication. Employees are less likely to share new ideas, fearing they’ll be dismissed or criticised.

Why Adopting a Growth Mindset is Critical

Carol Dweck, in her groundbreaking book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, contrasts the fixed and growth mindsets. People with a growth mindset believe abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, persistence, and learning. This belief transforms challenges into opportunities, setbacks into stepping stones, and feedback into fuel for improvement.

To drive transformation, leaders must embrace this mindset and foster it within their teams. Here’s why:

Encourages Innovation

A growth mindset sees failure not as a dead end, but as a necessary part of progress. This perspective allows teams to experiment, take calculated risks, and innovate without fear.

Builds Resilience

Transformation efforts often face resistance and setbacks. Leaders with a growth mindset persist in the face of obstacles, inspiring their teams to do the same.

Fosters Collaboration

A growth-oriented culture encourages open dialogue, diverse perspectives, and a willingness to learn from others. This leads to richer ideas and better solutions.

Practical Steps to Cultivate a Growth Mindset

1. Know thyself

Understanding your own mindset is the first step toward cultivating growth. Reflect on how you approach challenges and setbacks. Do you avoid tasks that might expose your limitations, or do you see them as opportunities to learn? Pay close attention to your internal dialogue. Fixed mindset language often includes phrases like, “I’m just not good at this” or “I’ve always been this way.” Challenge these thoughts by reframing them: instead of “I can’t manage technology,” try “I haven’t mastered this technology yet, but I can learn.”

As a leader, be mindful of how your words influence your team. Comments that unintentionally reinforce fixed beliefs, such as “She’s a natural,” might imply that success is innate rather than earned through effort. Shift the focus to hard work and learning by highlighting the process behind achievements.

Self-awareness isn’t about perfection; it’s about recognising opportunities for growth and modelling that recognition for others.

2. Learn continuously

Growth is fuelled by curiosity and a willingness to step beyond your comfort zone. Make learning an integral part of your leadership philosophy. This can range from formal education—like enrolling in industry-specific courses—to informal practices such as reading, networking, or experimenting with new tools and approaches.

At an organisational level, prioritise creating a learning culture. Leaders like Satya Nadella transformed Microsoft by embedding a “learn-it-all” mindset, where employees were encouraged to grow continuously. Practical steps could include offering on-demand training platforms, incentivising participation in skill-building workshops, and celebrating achievements tied to new knowledge.

Encourage cross-functional collaboration to expose teams to diverse perspectives. Learning doesn’t just come from textbooks or courses; it emerges from experiences, failures, and feedback. Remember, the goal isn’t just knowledge acquisition—it’s developing the agility to adapt to new challenges.

3. Set Stretch Goals

Stretch goals are ambitious, high-reaching objectives that push people beyond their current capabilities. They work because they challenge individuals and teams to think creatively and adapt to achieve something they didn’t think was possible. However, poorly designed stretch goals can feel overwhelming and counterproductive.

To set effective stretch goals:

• Start with smaller steps: Break ambitious objectives into manageable, incremental milestones. This ensures progress feels achievable and builds confidence.

• Be specific and realistic: Vague or impossible goals can demotivate. Instead of “improve customer satisfaction,” try “achieve a 20% increase in satisfaction scores within six months.”

• Provide necessary resources: Equipping your team with tools, training, and support to pursue challenging goals signals that their success is important.

For example, when I worked with a retail organisation transitioning to online sales, their initial digital strategy was overly broad. By focusing first on reducing online cart abandonment by 10%, the team built momentum and confidence to tackle larger objectives.

4. Redefine Failure

In environments with a fixed mindset, failure is feared, avoided, and punished. To foster growth, leaders must reframe failure as an inevitable and valuable part of innovation. Encourage your team to approach setbacks as learning opportunities rather than final verdicts on their abilities.

Make a habit of conducting post-mortem reviews for projects, not just to identify what went wrong, but to extract lessons that can guide future decisions. Publicly share what you’ve learned from your own mistakes—it not only normalises failure but also builds trust and encourages transparency.

For example, during a digital transformation effort I led, a pilot program to automate customer support failed to meet its targets. Instead of scrapping the idea entirely, we analysed the failure, adjusted the automation process, and achieved significant improvements in the second phase. This iterative approach wouldn’t have been possible if we’d treated the initial failure as the end of the road.

5. Model the Behaviour You Want to See

Your actions as a leader set the cultural tone for your organisation. Admitting when you don’t have all the answers and being open about areas where you’re growing can be powerful motivators for your team.

Lead by example: if you’re asking your team to take risks, ensure you’re demonstrating the same courage. If you want them to embrace continuous learning, share what you’re reading, courses you’re taking, or skills you’re developing. This vulnerability shows that growth isn’t just a directive—it’s a shared commitment.

The Transformational Power of "Yet"

One of the simplest yet most profound tools to shift mindset is the word "yet." Adding it to phrases like “I can’t do this” transforms them into “I can’t do this yet.” This small change opens the door to possibilities and reinforces the idea that growth is always within reach.

Have you encountered fixed mindsets in your work? How did you address them? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments.

Failure Fridays is a weekly series exploring common transformation mistakes and the lessons they offer. Each edition aims to spark reflection and help leaders take actionable insights into the week ahead.