Mindset
Changing the Way You Think To Fulfil Your Potential
Dr Carol Dweck
Carol Dweck’s Mindset has become something of a touchstone in education and leadership spaces. In this updated edition, she refines and deepens a simple but powerful idea: the way we think about our own abilities can profoundly shape what we achieve.
At the heart of the book is the contrast between a fixed mindset, where intelligence and talent are seen as set traits, and a growth mindset, where effort, feedback and learning from mistakes are seen as the pathway to development. But what makes this book resonate is how Dweck shows the mindset concept in action. Her examples, drawn from classrooms, businesses and everyday life, invite reflection rather than instruction.
There’s value here for anyone working in a school or team environment. Teachers might rethink how they frame feedback. Leaders may notice how mindset influences organisational culture. Support staff and pre-service teachers can consider how language shapes expectations, for others and for themselves.
One of the more memorable ideas is the power of adding the word yet. It’s a small shift, but it reminds us that learning is ongoing, not locked in. That idea sticks long after the last page.
Dweck doesn’t promise instant transformation. What she offers is a lens. And once you see mindset in action, it’s hard to unsee. Mindset is a worthwhile read for anyone curious about how belief shapes behaviour. In a profession characterised by questioning, this book will help you filter out and between to find the better questions - and the bigger answers.
