http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jun2009/ca20090619_819188.htm?chan=careers_managing+your+company+page_top+stories
In this interesting article, the author starts out by examining the responses he gets when asking students at a U.S. Naval Academy and a large state university the question "How many of you want to be leaders?" Unsurprisingly, all the students at the Naval Academy raised their hands, and less than half up their hands up at the state university. This was due to the cultural assumptions that leadership is routinely instilled at the Navel Academy and the state university invests in preparing students with knowledge and practical skills. The distinction became clear when he read professor Carol Dweck book Mindset. Her research says that there is "growth mindsets" or "fixed mindsets." People with growth mindsets believe they can continuously get better at something and potential to exceed their current position. However, people with fixed mindsets can only proceed to the extents of their natural ability, and no further. He then insists there are three questions you need to ask yourself to distinct which mindset we are in as a leader. "First, how effectively are you managing your organization's talent? Second, does your organizational culture permit risk taking and mistakes? Finally, are you resting on your laurels as a leader?"
These questions were typically hard for me to answer because I haven't been in a leader position in an organization yet. But I do like the section that explains different mindsets. I have come across people that have growth mindsets and fixed mindsets. I also think that we are capable of having both. I can honestly say that there are things that I am not going to get any better at during my life, no matter what. On the other hand, I believe there are things that I can improve on through hand work and dedication, and leadership is one of them. Hopefully this means I have a growth mindset. Overall, there is some good food for thought in this article.
Greg Calabrese
I guess one would not always think about leadership growing. Normally I think about the leaders in our society trying to get those whom they are leading to grow, rather then them growing themselves. If I was a leading an organization this article would have a huge affect on how I continued to lead. I do not just need to think about the growth of my employees and customers, but also myself and how I can improve on my own leadership ability.
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