“I have not failed once… When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”       -Thomas Edison

The Army I grew up in was full of leaders who were rewarded for accomplishing the mission at the expense of unit morale.

I once had an S3 who would go berserk when upset. He was known for clearing tables and throwing phones. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel because our commander cared more about the results he achieved than the toxic environment he created. 

I also had a leader who refused to accept an outstanding officer as his XO because that officer did not have a Ranger tab. That same leader would torpedo people’s career once he perceived they were underperforming or had limited potential.

These poor leaders, I‘ve come to see, shared one thing in common: a fixed mindset. Unfortunately, their behaviors had long influenced me more than I realized. Recently, the Army has adopted policies to transform its fixed-minded culture. I found inspiration in these initiatives, as well as Dr. Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset the New Psychology of Success. I am applying these concepts into my leader philosophy to undo what I learned from fixed leaders. You can do it too. It is never too late to shed your fixed mindset and adopt growth-minded practices.

Dr. Dweck argues that leaders with a fixed mindset view abilities and traits as unchangeable. Dr. Dweck further explains that fixed-mindset leaders believe that those with innate talent are superior and that “(n)atural talent does not ask for help. It is an admission of weakness.”  Those with a fixed-mindset are quick to assign blame while excusing their own failures and disregarding constructive feedback.

Fixed-minded leaders may accomplish their missions. In fact, they may spend their whole career not realizing they are fixed-minded because they are rewarded for getting results. This often comes at the cost of the morale and commitment of their subordinates. There are myriad studies that show a direct correlation between a leader’s attitude and actions and employee morale (Finger 2005, Houghton and Yoho 2012, Moore 2013, Robbins 2020, Saari and Judge 2004, etc.). Subordinates who cannot rely on or trust their leaders tend to have lower morale and work performance.

It wasn’t until I read Mindset that I truly recognized the impact my own fixed-minded leadership had on my subordinates and organization when I was a younger officer. While my fixed mentality earned me strong evaluations for getting results, I ignored the negative impacts my actions had on the morale of my subordinates. I saw it as my responsibility to help “cull the herd” and push forward “only the best” for the Army.

As a stark example of this, I had a subordinate, who I will call CPT Smith, who had a burning passion for leading soldiers. He had an always-positive attitude, willingness to learn, and his personality resonated well with enlisted soldiers. He wanted nothing more than to be a company commander. Unfortunately, he sometimes struggled to operationalize guidance and do what I expected of a future company commander.

Instead of helping CPT Smith work through his weaknesses and preparing him to be a company commander, I assigned him tasks commensurate with what I perceived were his middling abilities and rated him accordingly. I did not think CPT Smith could overcome his flaws and thus was unworthy to lead our nation’s sons and daughters into battle. He ended up leaving active duty, and the Army lost one of its most loyal and motivated officers. If I could do it over again, I would have devoted more time to his growth and given him more opportunities. Had I been a growth-minded leader instead of applying a fixed-mindset, I could have helped the captain achieve his dream of company command.  His future soldiers would have benefited from a leader who easily created a positive work environment.

Leaders with growth mindsets can have a significant, positive impact on morale. Where fixed-minded leaders focus on results-only success, growth-minded leaders succeed because they inspire every member to reach their full potential and achieve the mission. Dr. Dweck explains that leaders with a growth mindset believe that abilities can be developed, and that potential is only limited to personal effort and perseverance. Growth-minded leaders care more about efforts, attitudes, and willingness to learn more than the outcome of the activity being performed.

Growth-minded leaders are humble, inquisitive, and confront failures while maintaining faith in their eventual success. Essentially, they are always trying to improve and see themselves as a resource for learning. In the Army, growth-minded leaders accept reasonable mistakes. George Washington, for example, won only six of the thirteen battles he led, but his resilience and adaptability enabled him to lead the Army to victory in the Revolutionary War.

Growth-minded leaders see it as their job to help each subordinate succeed in their current assignment and develop them for their next. They see each interaction as another opportunity to connect and mentor, and each performance review as a chance to ensure their subordinates are on the right path. I had a leader who had a policy of underwriting any mistake that wasn’t illegal, immoral, or unethical. Though he observed me make many mistakes, he graciously allowed me to learn and grow from them. This increased my motivation and commitment. It also improved my performance. Our unit excelled under his leadership. The Army needs growth-minded leaders to shepherd our next generation of soldiers.

The Army is focused on developing and cultivating growth-minded leaders. It has already taken meaningful strides, such as changing the way in which commanders at the battalion-level and above are selected (Battalion and Colonel’s Commander Assessment Programs). Another example is the recently published ATP 6-22.1 Providing Feedback: Counseling- Coaching-Mentoring. ATP 6-22.1 offers new insights and tools for those who wish to be growth minded. The additions make clear that a leader’s responsibility is broader and more demanding than previously envisioned. With that in mind, I present a few takeaways from Dr. Dweck and ATP 6-22.1 to create a PACT of attributes leaders should emulate.

• Patient. Being a growth-minded leader involves investing time and energy for all of your subordinates. Demonstrate patience with their mistakes and support for efforts to grow. Growth is not an overnight phenomenon. Give your subordinates the time and autonomy they need to improve. Give them milestones and opportunities to validate their growth.  Underwrite their failures and use them as learning points.
• Adaptive. What works for one person may not work for others. Preparation is important to enable flexibility. Brush up on ATP 6-22.1 and adjust your leadership approach based on the individual and situation. Remember that not every interaction will go as planned, but each is an opportunity to mold your methods as a leader.
• Constructive. Believe in human potential and development, your own and others’. Treat subordinate mistakes as opportunities for learning. A lieutenant who did not perform well in a PLT STX would benefit from a constructive conversation identifying what growth steps to take instead of highlighting failures.
• Transparent. Get to know your subordinates—and let them get to know you. Spend time with them without an agenda.  Each of you should share your perspectives, motivations and drivers, and their preferred communication style. Try taking your subordinates shooting, hiking, or doing something away from the office where you can freely talk.

For those who felt some of the fixed-minded leadership examples rang close to home, take solace in knowing there are tools to help transition to a growth-minded approach. ATP 6-22.1 and Mindset provide the essentials for anyone who is willing to use them. Personally, I am spending time replacing my fixed-minded habits with more growth-centered approaches. I will spend my efforts learning about my subordinates and determining how I can best support their needs. Ultimately, these growth-minded approaches will lead to a healthier, stronger military.