Mindset: The New Psychology of Success book club questions

1. 1.

   Dweck argues that praise for intelligence backfires. Think back to how you were praised as a child — did it push you toward proving yourself or toward learning? How does it show up now?

2. 2.

   Pick a domain where you hold a fixed mindset. What challenge are you currently avoiding to protect your self-image in that area?

3. 3.

   The book claims failure looks different depending on which mindset you bring to it. What's a recent failure you interpreted as a verdict rather than as information?

4. 4.

   Fixed-mindset behavior shows up in relationships too. Where in a close relationship do you avoid honest conversation because you'd rather protect the appearance of compatibility than actually improve it?

5. 5.

   Dweck profiles leaders whose need to look smart drove bad decisions. Where in your professional life does looking competent compete with actually learning?

6. 6.

   Think of a skill you gave up on because you decided you didn't have natural talent for it. Was that a reasonable conclusion, or a fixed-mindset exit ramp?

7. 7.

   The growth mindset doesn't mean effort always produces results. How do you distinguish between productive persistence and persisting in the wrong direction?

8. 8.

   Dweck's research shows that the word 'yet' shifts a student's relationship to failure. Where in your own thinking would adding 'yet' change something meaningful?

9. 9.

   She argues that fixed-mindset athletes plateau while growth-mindset athletes develop. Can you think of an example from sports or work where this played out — either in your own experience or someone you've observed?

10. 10.

    The book says that a growth mindset is about believing abilities can develop, not believing everyone is equal or that effort always equals success. Does that distinction change how you think about the idea?

11. 11.

    Which person in your life most embodies a growth mindset? What specific behaviors make that visible, and what would it take to adopt one of those behaviors yourself?

12. 12.

    If your organization ran on a fixed mindset — rewarding talent over effort, punishing failure, hiring to look good rather than to grow — what would have to change first?

How to run the discussion

• Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
• Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
• Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
• Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.