What is mindset?

A mindset is the way a person views themselves, their abilities and the world around them. It plays a crucial role in our wellbeing because it shapes how we respond to challenges, learning experiences and opportunities. The concepts of fixed and growth mindsets were introduced by American psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck.

Understanding the difference between these two mindsets can shape how we learn, overcome obstacles and achieve success.

What is a fixed mindset?

A fixed mindset is the belief that intelligence, talents and skills are set in stone — you either have them or you don’t. People with this mindset often avoid challenges for fear of failure.

Examples of a fixed mindset

• I believe that my skills, intelligence and talents are unchangeable.
• I avoid challenging situations.
• I give up easily.
• I’m not open to receiving constructive criticism and I’m not open to growing from feedback.
• I don’t like seeing others succeeding.

What is a growth mindset?

A growth mindset is the belief that abilities can be developed through hard work, learning, input from others and perseverance. Those with a growth mindset see mistakes as opportunities to grow and view challenges as a path to improvement.

• I believe that my skills, intelligence and talents can be developed.
• I’m open to receiving feedback.
• I am inspired by others’ successes.
• I understand that it is through effort that I will gain mastery.
• I’m open to taking on a challenging situation and task, even if it could go wrong.

Wellbeing benefits of a growth mindset

A growth mindset can significantly enhance personal and professional wellbeing.

Individuals with a growth mindset may experience:

• Greater emotional resilience: As a result they’re more likely to bounce back from setbacks and view challenges as opportunities to grow.
• Improved mental health: A growth mindset reduces fear of failure and encourages persistence, which can lower stress and anxiety.
• Stronger relationships: By fostering empathy and open communication, growth mindset thinking helps build more respectful and supportive teams.
• Increased optimism and self-belief: People feel more in control of their development and are more willing to seek help and feedback.

How can I establish a growth mindset?

Establishing a growth mindset starts with the belief that your abilities and intelligence can develop through effort, learning, and persistence. You can begin by:

• Reframing challenges as opportunities to grow.
• Using “not yet” language as recommended by Dr. Carol Dweck to remind yourself that progress takes time For example changing “I can’t use the new prescribing software—it’s confusing.” to “I can’t use the new prescribing software confidently yet—but I’m exploring the features and asking for help when I need it.”
• Reflecting on past successes where effort led to improvement.
• Practicing self-talk that reinforces resilience, such as “I believe I can handle this”
• Seeking feedback and viewing it as a tool for learning, not criticism.

How can I encourage a growth mindset in my team?

As a manager or leader creating a growth mindset culture involves open discussion, reflection, and encouraging innovation. You can begin by:

• Holding team discussions about mindset, where individuals can explore and share their own experiences. This helps normalise growth-oriented thinking and builds psychological safety.
• Reflecting on how messages are conveyed at work—do you celebrate effort, creativity, and collaboration, or mainly achievements and targets?
• Encouraging innovation by allowing space for mistakes, recognising that learning and improvement often come through trial and error.
• Inviting staff to challenge existing processes, such as reviewing SOPs to ensure they’re fit for purpose and reflect current practice.
• Creating opportunities for staff to contribute ideas, whether for new services that support the local population or investments (e.g. automation) that free up time for patient care.
• Recognising that innovation and growth can lead to better patient outcomes, and that everyone in the team has a role to play in shaping that future.

For training that can help increase the wellbeing and performance of your team take a look at our Embracing a Workplace Wellbeing Culture course for pharmacy managers and leaders.

Embracing a Workplace Wellbeing Culture

Growing a growth mindset

If you’d like to grow a growth mindset within your organisation, check out our downloadable resource you can share or print and out up in your pharmacy.

Change, Growth and the Power of Mindset downloadable and printable resource

To learn more about mindset you may wish to consider reading Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

This page was reviewed and updated in November 2025