All in the mind

“I first came across the fixed versus growth mindset model in an article I read. It resonated with how I was feeling at the time and I was encouraged to do some research and find out more about how it could have a positive impact on my life.

“If you have a fixed mindset, you believe that intelligence, talent and skills are capped at a certain level. This reflected how I was feeling, especially when I came back to Baillie Gifford following maternity leave. At that point my confidence was low, I didn’t have a great deal of self-belief and making the transition from being a full-time mum to being back in the office was a challenge. When I returned to work after having my second daughter, I was determined not to let my mindset hold me back. That’s when I started channelling a growth mindset.

“A growth mindset is focused on development. It’s about treating your brain like a muscle; the more you exercise it, the stronger you will become. There are no limitations with the growth mindset. On the contrary it encourages you to realise your potential simply by using the power of the mind. The founder of the growth mindset, Carole Dweck, puts it perfectly when she says, ‘You can’t do that, yet’.

“The more research I did on the growth mindset, the more convinced I became of its merits. I started putting some of the strategies into practice and quickly noticed changes in how I was feeling and how I approached things. I started to identify areas that helped me to overcome my self-doubt. I realised I was imposing limits on myself and my performance at work, as I thought I didn’t have the skills to progress or do a better job. I acknowledge that was my fixed mindset and I’m now focused on channelling the growth mindset to overcome that.

“Undoubtedly, it’s having a positive impact. I’m more confident. I’ve become a better communicator. I realise my potential and I’m contributing more, because I believe in myself and my skills.  

“I’ve been so encouraged by the changes I’ve noticed in myself that I recently delivered sessions on the fixed and growth mindset to different teams across the firm. It’s provided me with an opportunity to talk about the benefits and point people in the direction of more resources. I’ve had great feedback on the presentations, especially from members of my team, as they’ve seen how I’ve changed for the better.

“Adopting the growth mindset has been transformative. I can only recommend that people try it for themselves and see just how beneficial it can be.”