When the widely regarded pioneer of leadership Warren Bennis interviewed great leaders he found “they all agreed leaders are made, not born, and made more by themselves than by any external means.” Bennis concurs: “I believe.. that everyone, of whatever age and circumstance, is capable of self-transformation.”

Carol Dweck’s mindset studies have scientifically studied the effect of people’s views on where their abilities come from, do they believe their abilities are fixed/innate or the result of hard work & learning? Fixed mindset people dread failure, feeling that it reflects badly upon themselves as individuals, while growth mindset people instead embrace failure as an opportunity to learn and improve their abilities.
Leaders who utilise a growth mindset tend to foster more positive views on employees & supervisors. Their work environment tends to be more conducive to innovation, collaboration, learning and growing.
Conversely fixed mindset leadership tends to promote a workplace where employees are scared to fail and a few ‘pin-up’ workers are highly valued. There is likely to be less innovation, more corner cutting & dishonesty.