With you I serve, but will I fall down?: Growth Mindset, Feedforward and Leadership Style

As I sit here reflecting on my growth mindset, I am struck by how far I have come in my personal and professional journey. It’s a profound realization that many may share: the feeling of having achieved success in various aspects of life, even if those moments are fleeting. Throughout my childhood, teenage years, and early college experiences, I often found myself confined within the limitations of a fixed mindset. This mindset, characterized by the belief that our abilities and intelligence are static, hindered my potential and made it difficult to embrace challenges or learn from failures. However, as I transitioned into adulthood and took on the role of a teacher, I became increasingly aware of these limitations. Despite my best efforts to cultivate a growth mindset, there are still occasions when I find myself slipping back into that fixed mindset mentality, particularly during challenging days at school. Recently, I experienced one of those particularly difficult days, where I felt overwhelmed with particular challenges. Many of us in the teaching profession can sympathize with the amount of challenges we face on a daily basis—whether it be classroom management issues, curriculum demands, or the emotional toll of supporting our students. In those moments of frustration and doubt, it’s easy to revert to a fixed mindset, questioning my abilities and the effectiveness of my teaching. Yet, I am determined to remain in my "Growth Mindset Era" for the foreseeable future, resolutely choosing not to let negativity or a fixed mindset dictate my path. In the spirit of resilience, I often remind myself of Dory’s famous advice: “Just keep swimming.” This mantra fuels my determination to continue pushing forward, not only in my own development but also in my aspiration to become a leader within my educational community. However, I find myself pondering a significant question: How can I effectively balance the responsibilities of being a leader while simultaneously embodying a growth mindset? As leaders, we are tasked with the responsibility of fostering an environment that encourages improvement and growth, not just for ourselves but for our entire organization. Carol Dweck (2006) emphasizes the importance of recognizing our own mistakes and understanding the future needs of our organization to facilitate progress. This requires a deep level of self-actualization and the willingness to learn from setbacks, rather than allowing them to define us. Furthermore, it is essential for leaders to cultivate a culture within their organizations that inspires others to strive for excellence. We must actively engage in conversations about what our organization needs to enhance its performance and how we can collectively work towards those goals (Dweck, 2006). In doing so, we not only model a growth mindset for our colleagues and students but also create a supportive atmosphere where everyone feels empowered to take risks and pursue continuous improvement. This journey is not without its challenges, but I am committed to navigating it with an open heart and a resilient spirit, ensuring that I, along with those I lead, can thrive in a landscape that values growth and learning.

During my undergrad years, I remember having to do so much research as a history major. I will never forget the amount I had to do and how much my papers were critiqued. I had this one professor who graded us very hard and was very tough on all of us, but for good reason—to make us better. I was afraid of her and her criticism, but I didn’t think back then it was feedback, and I didn’t have the growth mindset back then like I do now. Now, I have a growth mindset and can move forward with the feedforward, which I realize is just our professors or boss helping us out. I will never forget my principal telling me that I’m the one teacher she can count on with the feedback she gives and can move on and fix it to be better. I thought that was a big compliment to hear, and I was shocked she said that because I wonder about my colleagues and their feelings about the feedback. I’m not sure if they realize it is even feedforward they receive.

I never knew what type of leadership style I embodied until one of my group members pointed out that I am collaborative, however, I realized I embody servant leadership qualities as well. I know that embodying a growth mindset and applying it to my job will be the tough part of being a leader. I’ve seen administrators I’ve had and even my current one’s get in a place like us with a fixed mindset, but they can’t let that get in the way of their thoughts–I can tell from their face or body language when I see them. Some have that poker face, and I can’t read them. 

Currently, I’m in the process of applying for jobs in instructional design. I’m very excited to begin a new journey and career change. While instructional design incorporates teaching and background knowledge, I will have to apply leadership skills too. Since I embody a collaborative and servant leadership style, I believe the collaborative approach will be of great asset in my new career change. I noticed a lot of the positions I applied for mention how much collaboration occurs between different departments. I am aware I need to think outside the box–strong leaders look at the many approaches and consider other approaches. I believe it will be difficult to to do so in any new position I’m hired in, but I am still learning and growing.

References

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. random house.