Stuck between mediocrity and excellence

When you are in an undesirable situation, it's probably more "you" than you think it is. One of the books that I've been trying to finish is Carol Dweck's Mindset .  In it, Dr. Dweck introduces you to two fundamental mindsets - growth and fixed. In a fixed mindset, you believe that "your qualities are carved in stone...[it] creates a sense of urgency to prove yourself over and over..."   Having a fixed mindset prevents you from taking on new challenges for fear of failure or looking bad.  Having a fixed mindset makes it easy to blame your environment and things around you when things go wrong.  A fixed mindset also draws you toward tasks and projects that you know you'll accomplish more easily-- all because in the past you were probably told that being able to pick things up quickly is what makes your smart.  The growth mindset is "based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your...

In this month's issues of Success Magazine , there is an article by John Maxwell titled "Choosing Wisely".  In it, there is a quote from SonyCorp. co-founder Akio Marita: "No matter how good or successful you are, or how clever or crafty, your business and its future are in the hands of the people you hire."  Maxwell goes on to say that, "when you hire, sometimes the the person with the right skill set  does not have the right mindset to be successful in your organization."   Another interview with Tony Hsieh, founder of Zappo's, reiterates the same message. It's why he built a company with an obsessive focus on culture. He learned from selling his previous company that culture matters when it comes to company growth and employee productivity.  When a company is in hyper growth mode, recruiters will not understand whether a candidate has the right mindset or attitude to be successful at the company during the interview process. Af...