I delivered this talk to ISRO scientists on 22 Jul, when the Chandrayaan 2 was launched.

1. The Power
of Mindsets!
Tathagat Varma
Country Manager, Nerdwallet
Pic: https://www.predictive-advantage.com/positive-and-negative-the-power-of-mindset-in-the-workplace/

2. Pre-exercise
Sr.
No.
Statement
Answer
(Y/N)
1 Generally, you can’t change how intelligent you are; we all have a set level.
2 Once you reach adulthood, your abilities don’t change too much.
3 You have a certain level of talent, and there isn’t too much you can do to change it.
4 It’s hard to keep learning new skills.
5 If you work at it, you can increase your intelligence levels.
6 You can always improve your ability, even by small steps.
7
Even if you don’t have a natural talent, you can increase your talent levels with
dedicated practice.
8 Learning new skills is in your control.
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/cultivating-a-growth-mindset/the-mindset-choice

4. Where do you see yourself?
• Enthusiasm: I am the greatest hitter in the world!
• Resilience: I am the greatest hitter in the world! Strike Two.
• Grit: I am the greatest hitter in the world! Strike Three.
• (…repeated and endless failures later….)
• Mindset: Wow…I am the greatest pitcher in the world!!!

5. Road to success IS bumpy!

6. Failed 5,126 times!

7. Anand Kumar

8. The Hall of Fame…

9. • Why do some people
see failures
differently?
• What keep them
going despite
repeated failures?
• How do they motivate
themselves?

10. Mindset
How we
think,
believe
and act

11. Why Mindset?
Mindsets
influence
results!

12. Employees in a growth mindset company
are…
47%
likelier to say that their
colleagues are
trustworthy
34%
likelier to feel a strong
sense of ownership and
commitment to the
company
65%
likelier to say that the
company supports risk
taking
49%
likelier to say that the
company fosters
innovation
https://hbr.org/2014/11/how-companies-can-profit-from-a-growth-mindset

14. Mindset
Mindset is a simple idea discovered by world-
renowned Stanford University psychologist
Carol Dweck in decades of research on
achievement and success—a simple idea that
makes all the difference.
Mindsets are beliefs—beliefs about yourself
and your most basic qualities. Think about
your intelligence, your talents, your
personality. Are these qualities simply fixed
traits, carved in stone and that’s that? Or are
they things you can cultivate throughout your
life?
https://mindsetonline.com/whatisit/about/index.html

15. Two types of Mindsets
Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset

16. Fixed Mindset
People with a fixed mindset believe that their traits are just
givens. They have a certain amount of brains and talent
and nothing can change that. If they have a lot, they’re all
set, but if they don’t... So people in this mindset worry
about their traits and how adequate they are. They have
something to prove to themselves and others.
In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like
their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They
spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent
instead of developing them. They also believe that talent
alone creates success—without effort. They’re wrong.

17. •How many of
such mindsets
do we suffer
from?
•Are we self-aware
of our mindsets?
•How do we
discover our
blind spots?

18. Growth Mindset
People with a growth mindset see their qualities as
things that can be developed through their dedication
and effort. Sure they’re happy if they’re brainy or
talented, but that’s just the starting point. They
understand that no one has ever accomplished great
things—not Mozart, Darwin, or Michael Jordan—without
years of passionate practice and learning.
In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic
abilities can be developed through dedication and hard
work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This
view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is
essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all great
people have had these qualities.

19. •How do you
approach new
problems?
•What comes to
mind when you see
new things?
•What’s your reaction
to setbacks and
failures?
Pic: http://friarsprimaryschool.com/growth-mindset/

20. http://www.cput.ac.za/blogs/wellness/2016/08/01/not-performing-that-well-change-your-mindset/

22. Common excuses and myths…
• Genetics: I am shy by nature. I was born with a bad voice. I have a short
attention span. Everyone in family is bad at math.
• Past Circumstances: My parents did not allow me to play. My family forced me
to take up engineering. My friends made fun of my singing. I lost interest in
arts because of my teacher.
• Present Circumstances: It is too late to improve my handwriting now. I can’t
learn new technology with kids half my age. My employees will make fun of me
if I fail. No one I know is learning to code at this age. I am expert in my field.
• Future Circumstances: I am already doing so well, why to learn new things? I
am entitled to promotion next year. Future is just a linear extension of the
present.

24. • Acknowledge and embrace
imperfections
• View challenges as opportunities
• Try different learning tactics
• Follow the research on brain
plasticity
• Replace the word “failing” with
the word “learning”
• Stop seeking approval
• Value the process over the end
results
• Cultivate a sense of purpose
• Celebrate growth with others
• Emphasise growth over speed
• Reward actions, not traits
• Redefine “genius”
• Portray criticism as positive
• Disassociate improvement from
failure
• Provide regular opportunities for
reflection
• Place effort before talent
• Highlight the relationship
between learning and “brain
training”
• Cultivate grit
• Abandon the image
• Use the word “yet”
• Learn from other’s mistakes
• Make a new goal for every goal
accomplished
• Take risk in the company of others
• Think realistically about time and
effort
• Take ownership over attitude
https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/develop-a-growth-mindset/

25. Recap
"I don’t fix problems. I fix my thinking.
Then problems fix themselves".
- Louise L. Hay