The Power of Mindset – Is Success Influenced by How We Think about Our Talents and Abilities?
By Robin Mladinich, Founder and Executive Coach
February 22, 2022
What can we learn about mindset by watching the most recent performances by USA Olympian Mikaela Shiffrin and UGA National Championship Quarterback Stetson Bennett?
Photo courtesy of 2018 Getty Images
Mikaela Shiffrin
+ Winningest slalom skier – male or female – of all time.
+ Won 73 World Cup championships and two-time Olympic gold medal winner.
+ The face of the 2022 Winter Olympics and expected to win at least 3 gold medals.
- In the 2022 Olympics, she competed in 5 individual races, but received no medals and had 3 DNFs (did not finish).
Photo courtesy of sportingnews.com.
Stetson Bennett
- The quarterback nobody wanted. A walk-on to UGA football team.
- Considered “too short” to be a winning quarterback.
- His perceived lack of arm strength kept him on the sidelines for much of his college career.
+ Led his team to win the 2022 National Football Championship Title and named Offensive Player of the Game.
Shiffrin was seen from early age as extremely talented and has been very successful while Bennett was seen by his critics as not having enough talent to be a successful football player. What was the difference between these two athletes in their most recent performances for titles?
Mindset.
In her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck, Ph.D. argues that having the right mindset is more important than “natural” talent. Michael Jordan did not have natural talent. He was cut from his high school basketball team and wasn’t recruited by any colleges he wanted to play for. The difference was he believed he could do it and worked hard to accomplish it. Dweck says that “for Jordan, success stems from the mind.”
In her book, Dweck quotes Jordan, “The mental toughness and the heart are a lot stronger than some of the physical advantages you might have. I have always said that and I’ve always believed that,” he said. Bennett was a walk-on and seen by critics as not having enough talent for success. Yet he had a similar sentiment to Jordan. After winning the title game, Bennett said, “I hope it gives someone a little hope. Keep your mouth shut, work hard. Life is tough. Work through it." Bennett believed he was the best quarterback and put in the work for what he lacked in physical abilities.
When Shiffrin did not finish her first race at the Olympic skiing event where she was expected to win, it was shocking and unexpected. After that first race, she said, “This makes me question that last 15 years.”
My heart broke for her. I suspected the next 4 individual races would yield the same result. It did. She lost her confidence and did not have the right mindset for the following races. With all of her talent, she was not able to win a medal or finish in several cases.
In your career, do you have a growth mindset or a fixed one? Are you looking to change your mindset to fulfill your potential?
Join me for a small discussion group to explore how you can incorporate growth mindset concepts into your success plan. We will be reading Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psychology of Success book as a primer for the discussions.
The discussions will be held virtually in a 3-part series - March 2, 9, 16 from 9:00 am – 10:00 am.
There are just a few spots left! RSVP to robin@i2ileadershipgroup.com now to join!
