Stanford University professor Carol Dweck and colleagues have spent decades studying the distinct ways in which individuals view intelligence and learning, most recently expanding this research to how students view pursuing a passion. Her research has profound implications for the work environment and how leaders foster a mindset among their teams that drives learning, growth, and innovation.

In Dweck’s research, there are two primary ways in which individuals approach intelligence and learning: with a fixed mindset or with a growth mindset. The fixed-mindset perspective is one in which individuals believe that they are born with a certain level of intelligence and talent, and that level will not shift over their lifetime. As a result, they tend to believe that things for which they have skills should come easily to them, with little effort required for success. In fact, failure is deemed as an event that calls into question their true intelligence, resulting in these individuals experiencing significant struggle with setbacks or mistakes.

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