IPhone, IPad, IPod, IMac, all the “I” s, and I love Apple products! Do you? Well, there has been controversy if Apple’s success was primarily due to Steve Job’s contribution. As Steve Wozniak, played a crucial role in the built-up and invention of the first Apple computer: the Apple I. He was the true engineer and programmer behind the scene. Wozniak even argued, “Steve didn’t ever code, he wasn’t an engineer or did he have anything to do with the original design.” But what if I told you it was Steve Jobs’s growth mindset that made what Apple is today? Well, I am no expert, so I turned to Dr. Carol S. Dweck’s Book Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success.
In her book, Dweck argues that Mindsets can and must be changed. To a large extent, I agree with her statement. As she highlighted, six significant roles contribute to the change: they are effort & belief, realizing your potential, acknowledging your flaws, responding to the naysayers, and, most importantly, adapting to change. Steve Jobs had all the attributes, and he is a great example of a ‘growth mindset’ character.
Not only was Steve Jobs, an iconic man who lived, but I looked up to when I was studying in high school. In his commencement speech at Stanford University, he commented: “Follow your heart and trust that it knows where it’s going.” This resonates with what Dweck wrote in her book; she highlighted that a simple ‘belief’ is the anecdote that can transform your psychology and, as a result, perhaps your life. Like Steve Jobs, he had a deep-seated passion for creating new products and was obsessed with innovation. Dweck perfectly exemplifies that “They just did what they loved — with tremendous drive and enthusiasm — and it led where it led” (114). But the most eye-catching part was when the board of directors at Apple fired him from the company he started. Can you imagine that? According to Steve Jobs, he was devastated, stating, “I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me I-still loved what I did. And so I decided to start over.” This response was paramount to his life, as the lesson affected him greatly. Had Steve Jobs given up at that exact moment, perhaps the beautiful smartphones and tablets we hold today would never have existed. Steve Jobs’s persistence and level of tenacity demonstrate a leader with a “growth mindset.” Dweck would agree as she noted that though “failures may hurt, failures do not define them (39) … instead, they would bounce back on the next ones” (61). Hence, the power of love and joy in what we do can outweigh the pain and challenges we face.
Although Dweck supports that effort and belief is a fundamental root, a person must instill in her or himself; other factors should be taken into consideration. She also stresses that “people with easy access to a good education, a network of influential friends, … in the right place at the right time — stand a better chance of having their efforts pay off” (47). Like Steve Jobs, he knew his passion early in life and had a great partner, Steve Wozniak. On the other hand, the examples Dweck mentioned, like Jackson, Elvis, Ray, Lucille, and Charles, they didn’t stand out from the crowd early in life. Instead, their potential was yet to be discovered and fulfilled. Dweck further explains that ‘reaching one’s potential’ is critical, and it takes time to develop. She expresses this profoundly well by writing a “growth mindset knows that it takes time for potential to flower” (28).
I, on the other hand, as a young kid growing up, was labeled as ‘intellectual’ and had ‘potential’ to do great things by my family, teachers, and peers. According to Dweck, “80 percent of parents told us it was necessary to praise children’s ability to foster their confidence and achievement” (71). I guess my parents were part of the 80%, and growing up in Indonesia and Singapore up until elementary school; I was doing reasonably well until middle school and high school. As teachers became stricter, and work started to pile up. My poor work ethics, lack of concentration in class, laziness began to dawn on me in school. It was at this moment I felt the world was on me, and I started to avoid challenges and putting in the effort. My Mindset became fixed. As Dweck stated, “in short, when people believe in fixed traits, they are always in danger of being measured by a failure” (39). I became fearful of trying and failing, that I could work hard and still be left empty-handed. The fear of that thought always pondered on me to take the first step. As the saying goes, “the first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist.” Maybe it was the constant ‘C’s and ‘D’s I received in high school or criticism I received from my Business teacher in grade 11 who induced that fear in me. That whatever I said or tried, was not good enough. However, this perception I had was overlooked and mistakenly read, as Dweck pointed out, “great teachers set high standards for all their students, not just the ones who are already achieving” (200). Dweck continues that “constructive means helping the child to fix something, build a better product, or do a better job” (185). It had never occurred to me that my Business teacher cared about my performance and potential to improve in class. I had been under the impression that she disliked me and was stereotypical. But as Dweck further clarified, “great teachers believe in the growth of intellect and talent, and they are fascinated with the process of learning” (197). I started to acknowledge my flaws and began to perceived criticism as a feedback loop to become a better character. I began to become open-minded and see myself from the lens of the growth mindset. When I started to apply the growth mindset concept, slowly did I begin to notice the change in my life.
So, how does this relate to Steve Jobs? Well, as I mentioned earlier, he was both a visionary and a role model I looked up for guidance and wisdom. Again, I was never really clear about what I wanted to do in life because I had no idea. But, he answered this question by stressing, “your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” Though I do not know him personally, this quote had a profound impact on my life. I stopped measuring school as means that grades define my future. Instead, I took charge of learning not to memorize facts but to train my mind to think intuitively and rationally.
Furthermore, research stated from ‘Mindsets’ has shown “that the brain is more like a muscle — it changes and gets stronger when you use it (229) … when you learn new things, these tiny connections in the brain multiply and gets stronger” (229.) The quote has left an impression on me, and since then, I’ve perceived learning as a joyful and thriving experience. Instilling the growth mindset has expanded my knowledge to new horizons, which includes embracing new challenges and persisting when confronted with setbacks.
However, to a small degree, one can argue that factors such as negative labels, stereotypes, and poor financial background can hinder a person’s capabilities and opportunities. For example, as asserted in mindsets, “research by Claude Steele and Joshua Aronson shows that even checking a box to indicate your race or sex can trigger the stereotype in your mind and lower your test score” (75). As it can evoke a sense of distracting thoughts, leading a person to believe he or she cannot perform. Dweck further explains and wants the reader to know that “growth mindset lets people — even those who are targets of negative labels — use and develop their minds fully. Their heads are not filled with limiting thoughts, a fragile sense of belonging, and a belief that other people can define them” (80). Similarly, coming from a poor financial background can reduce the chances of a person succeeding in his or her career. But, as Dweck mentioned, circumstances should not define a person’s journey in life. Instead, if you choose to ‘believe’ in the growth mindset, perhaps, you can increase the probability of having a rich and fulfilling life.
Nevertheless, I believe it boils down to you to choose between having a growth mindset or a fixed mindset. Just like Steve Jobs, when he got fired from Apple, he didn’t quit; instead, he chose to cultivate the ‘growth mindset’ by believing his effort has yet to pay off. But whatever you choose, there is no right or wrong answer, and as Dweck finishes her book, she iterates, “growth mindset will always be there for you, showing you a path into the future. You can always turn to it” (264). So what will you choose?
