Issue #3: The Belief That Quietly Rescued My Career
What You Believe About Yourself Might Be Holding You Back
Most of us don’t just have a resume. We have a narrative.
I’m a people person. I’m not a math guy. I can handle conflict, unless it’s before coffee.
We don’t always say these out loud. But we repeat them to ourselves until they become our personal terms of service.
Sometimes those labels are helpful. Usually they’re not. Because once you decide who you are, you also decide what’s off-limits.
I’ve seen it over and over:
The brilliant strategist who won’t speak up in a room full of execs because “I’m not polished enough.”
The people leader who won’t ask for help because “I should already know this.”
The high performer who turns down a stretch role because “I’m not ready yet.” (Translation: “I might fail.”)
That’s the real danger of a fixed mindset. Not just that it underestimates your abilities, but it also convinces you not to test them.
“Maybe I’m just not cut out for this.”
That thought showed up in August of 2013, as I stepped into a new leadership role across North Asia.
Multiple countries. Multiple languages. A multi-generational, multicultural team I didn’t know yet — and they didn’t know me.
I tried to act confident. I had the title. I’d done the prep. But during my very first town hall, I mispronounced my Beijing GM’s name. Three times. In front of 70 people. (She corrected me. Graciously. Twice.)
That night, lying in a hotel bed in Shanghai, I remember thinking:
“What have I gotten myself into? And what if they realize I’m just winging this in real time?” (Spoiler: I was. We all are.)
It wasn’t just fear of failure. It was fear of being found out. A self-doubt and imposter syndrome one-two punch.
And I might’ve stayed down for the count if I hadn’t stumbled on a dusty list of “notable things from 1979” (my birth year) while mindlessly scrolling to forget the day's missteps.
Tucked between The Muppet Movie and the Iran hostage crisis was a book I’d never read: The White Album, a collection of essays by Joan Didion.
One of Joan's concepts stuck. Maybe unintentionally. But it felt like an idea delivered by fate and bad Wi-Fi:
Ready is a story we tell ourselves. Growth is what makes it true, or not.
In that moment, I decided growth would be my truth.
So instead of obsessing over being ready or being right, I shifted to asking better questions. Listening harder. Dropping the act.
And something wild happened. The team leaned in. Not because I had all the answers. But because I was willing to keep learning.
That’s what a growth mindset unlocked. Not instant success. Just momentum. And momentum is enough to keep you in the room long enough to become who the role needs.
Chapter 3: The Business Buffet
The Ultimate Leavening Agent
In The Business Buffet, I call a growth mindset the ultimate leavening agent. It helps skills rise over time, even when the heat’s on high.
Without it, talent stays flat. Potential doesn’t expand — it compresses. You end up repeating the same moves, rather than evolving them.
A growth mindset doesn’t puff you up artificially. It doesn’t give you instant results. What it gives you is something stronger than certainty: the willingness to keep going without it.
That’s what makes it leavening — not decoration.
In baking, leavening agents don’t just change the texture... they change the outcome. Same ingredients, totally different result. A well-risen loaf feels effortless when cut into. But it took chemistry. And time. And some failed batches along the way.
That’s how a growth mindset works in a career. It's not about hype or shortcuts.
It’s about heat + repetition + belief = rise.
Why Growth Mindset Works
This isn’t just a warm-and-fuzzy philosophy. It’s a proven performance strategy. And I get it — when you're drowning in deadlines, a growth mindset probably sounds like a luxury you don't have time for.
But it's not about mindset instead of skill... it's about mindset unlocking skill.
People who believe they can get better usually do. Not because of positive thinking — but because belief changes behavior. Here's why:
Learning & Adaptability Stanford research shows people with a growth mindset retain and apply feedback more effectively and adjust faster in uncertainty. They don’t need perfect plans — just forward motion.
Psychological Safety When leaders model “still learning,” others feel safe doing the same. The result = more innovation, less C.Y.A.
Performance Gains When effort is seen as strength — not weakness — people take more swings. And they hit more, too.
🍴 Try a Bite This Week
You don't need a sabbatical or a new certification to develop a growth mindset. (Though if your company offers either… take them. Good for the soul and the C.V.)
You just need to start questioning the labels you've been accepting as permanent. The ones that sound like facts but are really just outdated feedback.
Small mental shifts create space for momentum.
🍴 The “Yet” Swap Every time you say “I’m not good at…” — slap a “yet” on the end. It feels corny. It’s also backed by neuroscience. "Yet" signals possibility. It disrupts the fixed narrative.
🍴 The Debrief Default After a rough meeting or pitch flop, skip the shame spiral. Ask: What worked? What didn’t? What would I try differently next time? Treat it like a pilot running a checklist — not a failure autopsy.
🍴 The Reframe Relay Someone on your team fumbles? Don’t label them. Try: “They’re still learning this. How do I help?” Trust me. They’ll notice the shift — and probably mirror it.
A Final Thought
Growth mindset doesn't make everything easier. But it keeps you moving when your brain is screaming "RETREAT! RETREAT!"
It's not about pretending you're confident. It's about being curious enough to stay in the room anyway.
Even when you've just butchered someone's name. Three times. In front of 70 people.