AIW Coaches focus a lot on mindset. In fact, Carol Dweck's groundbreaking book Mindset (2006) is required reading for all AIW Coaches. We spend a lot of time on Chapter 7, which focuses on how the mindset we have about ourselves and our mindset about others can be different. For example, one of the reasons I think I was good at teaching inner city middle-school students was because I had (and still have) a growth mindset towards their capacity to learn. This meant that if the class did poorly on a test, I didn't think they were in adequate—just that their preparation had been inadequate, which could have been as much my fault as theirs.
This was in sharp contrast to the fixed mindset I had towards myself. I had very little patience for failure. The only silver lining was quitting computer science and becoming a history major, which in turn led to me becoming a teacher. Although I've become much more self- aware, I still get "fixed-mindset-drfit." I especially have to fight hard against its pull when I'm backed into a corner or make a mistake.
One place I go to for inspiration and resources is the Mindsetworks website.
Eduardo Briceno is a terrific CEO and writes a compelling blog about what he is learning about Mindset. This months' entry is on making mistakes. I especially love the 2x2 he uses to illustrate the different kinds of mistakes we make. If you make mistakes and are interested in mindsets, I hope you check out Eduardo's latest article: