Growth Mindset Leadership

In his classic book on leadership, Dale Carnegie wrote, “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain – and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”

When working with other people, we must expect that there will be bumps along the road. There may well be unmet tasks, miscommunication, conflicts of personalities, unreasonable deadlines, differing standards, bad days, and so on. Unfortunately, the first impulse of human nature is to defend ourselves and cast the blame elsewhere. We often are quick to criticize the shortcomings of another member of the team.

Rightly or wrongly, have you ever been criticized by a supervisor or teammate? What was your response?

Nine times out of ten, our emotional response to criticism is anger, resentment, anxiety, or a combination of negative emotions. We may change our behavior out of deference, but not without harboring negativity. In the end, egotistical criticism and the “my way or the highway” leadership style destroys staff motivation and leads to the decline of team performance.

“There is nothing else that kills the ambitions of a person as criticisms...I never criticize anyone. I believe in giving a person an incentive to work. So I am anxious to praise but loath to find fault. If I like anything, I am hearty in my approbation and lavish in my praise,” asserted Charles Schwab (one of the first people in the United States to be paid a million dollar salary).

Criticism is reactive. Something does not go as hoped, so we point out all the things other people on the team should have done better. How often do we start by looking in the mirror?

It is much more effective to be a proactive leader, creating a culture of excellence that affirms the positive efforts of staff, and provides plenty of opportunities for members of the team to learn and grow as professionals.

Sometimes leaders need to have honest conversations with other members of the team. Team performance sometimes falters, and all of us make mistakes. But rather than taking an aggressive “point the figure” approach, an effective leader asks: What did we do well and what can we do better? What sorts of obstacles do we need to overcome – together – to do even better next time? Most importantly, an effective leader listens closely to what other team members have to say.

If criticism is to be in any way constructive, the impetus for change must come from within. By creating an affirmative culture of continual self-reflection and growth, mistakes and failures become learning experiences, not experiences associated with fear and negativity.