Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and author of "Mindset" discusses the fixed and growth mindset. This is a segment from the full unscripted interview.

Carol Dweck 2008 Interview
Interview date: September 4, 2008
Interviewer: John McLaughlin, Historian and President of the Santa Clara Valley Historical Association

Interviewer's question:
"One thing that they (founders) all seem to have in common. Actually, there's two things. One thing is, they're not afraid to fail. Failure is just not a big deal. It's just part of life. And then the other is that most of them had an event in their life where somebody died. There was something that changed their direction. They may have said, "I'm not going to work for this guy. I've always wanted to own my own company, so I'm going to do it." That's been the main difference between founders versus the guy who got to be CEO by politics. Because the CEO who isn't the founder is very risk-adverse. He's afraid to make a mistake. How does that relate to this?"

Transcript (partial):
". . . Silicon Valley founders are not afraid to fail. That is a key characteristic of the growth mindset. In fact, they say when they fail, they're learning to succeed. They're gaining the experience that they need for their ultimate success. In a fixed mindset, failure means you're not a genius. Failure means there's something wrong with you. It's humiliating. It's to be swept aside as soon as possible. That attitude really curtails your success in the long run. How can people change from a fixed to a growth mindset? In my book, incidentally called "Mindset," I have a chapter on how people can take those first steps towards change, but I also have a chart that juxtaposes the different characteristics of the two mindsets. And I suggest that people Xerox the chart, blow it up and paste it on their mirror because in the fixed mindset, it's about looking smart - always documenting that you've got the goods. But in the growth mindset, it's about capitalizing on what you have growing it and learning. Mistakes made in fixed mindset, you don't have it, and you've got to cover them up. But mistakes in a growth mindset, they're just vehicles for learning. Effort in a fixed mindset means, "Well, you must not be a genius if you really have to sweat." But in the growth mindset, it is the way to develop your abilities and reach success. In a fixed mindset, other people's successes are undermining. But in a growth mindset, they're inspiring, and they're people you can learn from. So step by step by step, people need to keep them in front of them and catch themselves when they're falling into that limiting mixed mindset."

For requests to use this copyright-protected work in any manner, email the copyright owner, Santa Clara Valley Historical Association. The contact information can be found on our YouTube About page.