Dr. Christine Chin-Sim of leverage4change.com will discuss the two mindsets that play out in our business interactions and how each can determine the success or demise of your business.

1. THE MINDSETS
In BUSINESS
With Dr. Christine Chin-Sim, Ph.D.
UNIVERSITY

2. Which 2 Statements Do You Agree With The
Most: Personality & Character
1. I AM WHO I AM AND I CANNOT CHANGE. (F)
2. NO MATTER WHO I AM NOW, I CAN ALWAYS CHANGE TO BECOME A
BETTER PERSON (G)
3. I CAN DO SOME THINGS DIFFERENTLY, BUT THAT WILL NOT
CHANGE WHO I AM (F)
4. I CAN ALWAYS CHANGE BASIC THINGS ABOUT THE KIND OF PERSON
I AM (G)

3. Which 2 Statements Do You Agree With The
Most: Intelligence
1. I WAS BORN INTELLIGENT. YOU EITHER HAVE IT OR YOU DON’T (F)
2. I CAN LEARN NEW THINGS; BUT IT WILL NOT CHANGE HOW
INTELLIGENT I AM (F)
3. IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW INTELLIGENT I AM, THERE’S ALWAYS
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT (G)
4. INTELLINGENCE CAN BE CHANGED SUBSTANTIALLY WITH EFFORT
(G)

4. So What Exactly Is MINDSET?
• IT’S THE VIEW WE ADOPT ABOUT OURSELVES WHICH ULTIMATELY DICTATES HOW WE LIVE OUR
LIVES
• THESE BELIEFS WE HAVE ABOUT OURSELVES CAN BE DISTILLED INTO 2 MINDSETS: THE FIXED
MINDSET & THE GROWTH MINDSET
NOTE: THE FIXED MINDSET ONLY SHOWS UP WHEN THINGS ARE NOT GOING WELL. IT’S WHEN
THEY ARE FACED WITH A CHALLENGE THAT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIXED MINDSET
EMERGE
IN GENERAL:
• SOMEONE WITH A THE FIXED MINDSET BELIEVE TALENT OR APTITUDE IS INNATE AND CANNOT BE
CHANGED – YOU’RE EITHER SMART OR YOU’RE NOT
• SOMEONE WITH A GROWTH MINDSET BELIEVE THAT NO MATTER YOUR SKILL LEVEL NOW, IT CAN
BE CHANGED THROUGH EFFORT AND COMMITMENT.
IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT MINDSETS ARE ALONG A SPECTRUM AND ONE CAN
HAVE A GROWTH MINDSET IN ONE AREA OF THEIR LIVES, BUT A FIXED MINDSET IN ANOTHER

5. INTERVIEWING THE FIXED MINDSET
WILL:
• HAVE INFLATED BELIEFS IN THEIR ABILITIES
• WILL SPEAK IN “ME OR I” TERMS
• NOT LIKE TO BE CHALLENGED
• FOCUS ON ATTRIBUTES/EXPERIENCES THAT MAKE THEM FEEL
SPECIAL AND MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHERS
• WILL BLAME OTHERS FOR THEIR FAILURE IF BROUGHT UP

6. FIXED MINDSET: HOW THEY BEHAVE WHEN
CHALLENGED
• INSTEAD OF LEARNING FROM FAILURES AND REPAIRING THEM, WILL CHOOSE
INSTEAD TO REPAIR THEIR SELF-ESTEEM (Eg. May seek out people or instances
who have made worse mistakes than they did).
• ALWAYS TRYING TO PROVE THEMSELVES AND SUPER SENSITIVE ABOUT BEING
WRONG OR MAKING MISTAKES.
• DON’T USUALLY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS (BLAME OR EXCUSES)
• FEAR CHALLENGE AND DEVALUES EFFORT (BECAUSE OF THEIR BELIEF THAT
ABILITY CAN’T BE CHANGED)
• THRIVES ONLY WHEN THINGS ARE SAFELY WITHIN THEIR GRASP
• FAILURE CAN BE A PAINFUL EXPERIENCE BECAUSE THEY ALLOW IT TO DEFINE
THEM

7. INTERVIEWING THE GROWTH MINDSET
INDIVIDUAL
• WILL SPEAK OF HOW THEY CHANGED THROUGH EFFORT AND
COMMITMENT
• ENJOY THE PROCESS OF LEARNING AND GROWING
• CHOOSE TO LEARN AND TAKE RERSPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR
MISTAKES/FAILURES AND WORK TO OVERCOME DEFICIENCIES
INSTEAD OF ACCEPTING OR DENYING THEM

8. GROWTH MINDSET: HOW THEY RESPOND TO
CHALLENGES
• WILLING TO SEEK HELP FROM OTHERS
• STAYS THE COURSE EVEN WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH
• BELIEVES THAT IF THEY PUT IN THE EFFORT, THEY WILL
EVENTUALLY SUCCEED
• WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT THEIR SHORTCOMINGS AND WORK TO
STRENGTHEN AND BUILD ON THEM

9. What QUESTIONS should you ask when hiring
new employee?
• Tell me an incident where you felt you were successful in achieving a
certain goal and how you did that?
What to LISTEN for: “I” No mention of team members or others who helped
• How would you go about handling co-workers/employees who do not agree
with your beliefs or ways of doing things? (Notice language of superiority,
unwillingness to listen to hear others points of view)
• What did you learn from your last position that may be helpful in this one?
(May find it difficult to answer because of belief that they already know it all).
• What are some of your qualities or achievements that makes you the best
person for this position? (Listen for academic achievements and innate abilities
versus the need for personal growth and development. Listen for tones of
superiority and beliefs of being a King looking down his nose at his serfs. Feeling
of entitlement, invincibility .

10. Questions about challenges?
• Can you think of a time when you were challenged in the past and
how did you resolve it? Listen for excuses, or blaming language
• What do you believe your weaknesses are and what are you doing to
improve? Notice if there is hesitation to answer or look of disbelief at
the question – they do not believe they have weaknesses
• What are some of the things you do to improve on what you already
know? Look for hesitation since they do not believe in self growth
since they believe they already know everything they need to know.
• How would you respond if someone disagreed with you? Notice body
language – does not tolerate disagreement well - Listen for expressions
of genius and innate talent

11. Questions
• If you were to be hired for this position; What types of employee
development programs do you believe would you want to offer?
Notice hesitation since there is no belief in employee development.
Fixed mindset bosses hire people for their academic achievements –
Growth mindset bosses hire people for their passion and their belief in
personal growth and their ability to get things done even when faced with
challenges.
Hearing the mindset
• If I win – I’ll be somebody. If I fail, I’ll be nobody. (fixed)
• If you work hard at something, you get out what you put in (growth)

12. Encouraging And Maintaining the Growth
Mindset
Praise for:
• Effort, taking initiative, staying the course and seeing the project
through.
• Being undaunted by setback, struggles, or disappointments.
• Willingness to do something new as circumstances change.
• Being open to criticism and the willingness to learn from it.
Don’t Praise:
• Talent
• Innate Ability
• Genius/Smart

13. QUESTIONS?