You have complete control over your presentation destiny. Nail your talk and you can take full credit for it. Bomb it and you get to take credit for that too.
Fortunately, you already have the most important component to deliver a killer presentation. Your mindset. But, do you have the right mindset?
According to Dr. Carol Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist who studies how humans face challenges and handle failures, there are two core mindsets. A fixed mindset or a growth mindset. One of them propels people through challenges to success while the other stifles growth and development.
The Difference Between a Fixed Mindset and Growth Mindset
A fixed mindset is one that assumes all of our traits—our character, our intelligence, and our creativity—are, well, fixed. In other words, how smart and creative you are was determined when you were born. It’s not something that will change in a significant or meaningful way throughout your life.
In her research, Dr. Dweck found that “When students had more of a fixed mindset… they saw challenges as risky. They could fail, and their basic abilities would be called into question. When they hit obstacles, setbacks, or criticism, this was just more proof that they didn’t have the abilities that they cherished.”
A growth mindset is one that believes we have agency over our traits. We can grow and evolve as life progresses. Rather than accept failure as being the result of a lack of intelligence or creativity, someone with a growth mindset will see that failure as an opportunity to improve and stretch their existing abilities.
Unlike a fixed mindset, Dr. Dweck discovered that those with a growth mindset, “held the view that their talents and abilities could be developed and that challenges were the way to do it… Setbacks and feedback weren’t about [their] abilities, they were information [they] could use to help [themselves] learn.”
Of those two mindsets, which one do you think will help you deliver an effective presentation? Of course, it’s having a growth mindset.
Knowing which mindset will give you the better presentation is one thing, but developing that mindset is quite a another. If you find that you’re stuck in the fixed mindset zone, practicing the following techniques will have you in the coveted growth zone—and delivering a killer presentation—in no time.
Tips for Cultivating a Growth Mindset
Take failure out of your vocabulary
People with a growth mindset don’t see failures as losses; they see them as opportunities for growth. In your personal vocabulary, replace the words “loss” and “failure” with “learning opportunities.”
Value effort over skill
Get in the habit of focusing on the efforts of others rather than their skills. This will train your brain to value your and others’ efforts rather than talent, and to better see growth as it happens.
Pump the breaks on being competitive
Competition is highly valued in our culture, and it’s part of human nature, but exhaustively comparing yourself to others is a fast track to a fixed mindset. So, use it sparingly as a burst of motivation; not as your primary driver.
Focus on the progress of people you know
Maybe a loved one learned a new language or a friend mastered a difficult hobby—this is proof of our ability as humans to grow, so focusing on it will inspire your own personal growth.
Become more self-aware
If you don’t have an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, you won’t be able to see how you’re improving AKA growing. If you need a self-awareness kickstart, take our Badge Assessment to better understand who you are as a presenter.
Ready to elevate your presentation prowess even further? Then check out all of our presentation training options you can take advantage of to do just that.
