Principles of Coaching #6 - Give people the gift of a growth mindset, maximize the learning mindset, and eliminate the production mindset (Bot9 #310)
One’s mindset is incredibly important. But let’s hang on a second from the outset. Mindset is one of those words that I didn’t really know or encounter much until well into my professional career as a teacher and coach. Very simply, one’s mindset is “the established set of attitudes held by someone.” My goal is to help people with two positive mindsets and try to unhitch themselves from a mindset that will ruin their peace.
The first mindset is one of the great gifts of modern science - the growth mindset. The growth mindset is a belief that you can learn more through the process of hard work and perseverance. One is not born a baseball player or a leader, we are born with opportunities to develop our skills in those areas. While people are certainly born with genetic dispositions that will allow them to excel to certain levels, people with growth mindsets will continue to learn and view challenges merely as opportunities to improve their learning and skills. The growth mindset is rooted in the heart of our Creator. He has made us to grow and transform into His image. It’s a gift from the Lord which Carol Dweck identified most recently in popular science.
The second mindset is the learning mindset and is an extension of a growth mindset. A learning mindset is what allows you to increase your performance. In addition to growth, a learning mindset will also reference belonging, purpose and relevance. A person who operates with a learning mindset recognizes they belong as a part of a team, they have a clear role to accomplish, and know they are important. In the context of a team, this is like a healthy church and the members therein. Everyone sees that they are a part of greater community, they know their role in the body, and they recognize the importance of their gifts. The learning mindset allows one to thrive in life.
While the first two mindsets allow people to experience extraordinary levels of flow and creativity, the last mindset can derail everything. The production mindset only cares about the bottom line - the win, the profit, the end result. For someone with this mindset, the end result is the only worthwhile measurement. The only thing of value in the world is what you produce in that moment. Coaches with this mindset will use people for what they can do for you.
People of faith might warp the Parable of the Talents to be about one’s production while the master is away. But this story isn’t about production - it’s about faithfulness. We’re called to be faithful and give our best with the circumstances in front of us. Think of it like this - what if you were a shortstop in the Baltimore Orioles system from 1982 through the mid-1990s. Were you a failure as Cal Ripken Jr. held the position for the organization? Or if you were a shortstop in the Yankee system from 1995-2014 while Derek Jeter was the captain? Does that mean you didn’t produce enough? Of course not. It just means circumstances didn’t work in your favor. If you made the most of your opportunities, maybe you were able to get traded into a better situation.
Our faith just isn’t about works. Your production does not make your identity. Your ability to grow and learn in this life shows your faithfulness and makes your life. Value people above their production and what they can produce for you. Treat your players in a way where it is obvious that it is about them, the growth of each person individually, and not about a ring or a championship. Winning and influence then become a by-product of all of your actions and not daily manipulations to get what you want. Give people the gift of a growth mindset, maximize the learning mindset, and eliminate the production mindset. It will make all of the difference in your life and the lives of your players.