How to Build a Team That Embraces Challenges, Not Avoids Them
Yesterday, we talked about how to inspire real ownership in your team—empowering them to take responsibility for results instead of waiting for direction. But ownership alone isn’t enough. If your team isn’t constantly learning, adapting, and improving, their success will be short-lived. Today, we’ll explore how leaders can foster a growth mindset—not just in themselves, but across their entire team.
Robert L. Short
3/18/20252 min read
Why a Growth Mindset Is the Key to Long-Term Success
A few years ago, I worked with a leader who was frustrated by his team’s lack of initiative. Every time a challenge came up, people played it safe. They stuck to what they knew, avoided risk, and resisted change.
His mistake? He had built a team that feared failure instead of one that embraced growth.
The best teams don’t avoid challenges—they seek them out. They don’t see mistakes as setbacks—they see them as opportunities to learn and improve. This is what psychologist Carol Dweck calls a growth mindset—the belief that intelligence, skills, and success are not fixed traits but things that can be developed through effort, learning, and persistence.
When leaders create this mindset, teams become more resilient, adaptable, and innovative—qualities that are essential in today’s fast-changing world.
Signs Your Team Has a Fixed Mindset
🚫 They avoid challenges. If something seems difficult, they stick to what’s safe instead of pushing their limits.
🚫 They fear failure. Mistakes are seen as personal shortcomings instead of learning experiences.
🚫 They resist feedback. Instead of using feedback to grow, they take it as criticism.
🚫 They focus on proving, not improving. People care more about looking competent than actually getting better.
How to Build a Growth Mindset Culture
✔ Praise Effort, Not Just Results
– Instead of only recognizing success, highlight persistence, learning, and improvement: “I appreciate how you tackled that challenge, even though it was new to you.”
✔ Encourage Experimentation
– Reward calculated risk-taking, even if it doesn’t always work. If people are afraid to fail, they’ll never try new things.
✔ Frame Feedback as a Gift
– Make feedback a normal, expected part of work. Try saying, “This isn’t about what’s wrong—it’s about how we can grow.”
✔ Model a Growth Mindset Yourself
– Share your own learning experiences. When leaders admit mistakes and show a willingness to grow, their teams follow.
✔ Ask “What Did We Learn?” After Every Challenge
– Whether something succeeds or fails, turn it into a learning moment: “What worked? What didn’t? What can we improve next time?”
Try This Today: The “Yet” Mindset Shift
Listen to how your team talks about challenges. If someone says, “I’m not good at this,” encourage them to add one word:
👉 “I’m not good at this… yet.”
That small shift rewires thinking from a fixed mindset (I can’t do this) to a growth mindset (I can learn this).
Lead Forward by Building a Team That Never Stops Growing
A team that isn’t learning is a team that isn’t growing. And a team that isn’t growing will eventually fall behind. The strongest leaders build cultures where challenges are embraced, mistakes are learning opportunities, and growth is part of the daily routine.
In Lead Forward!, I share the strategies that help leaders create an environment where people push their limits, take ownership of their development, and continuously improve. If you’re ready to build a team that thrives in the face of challenges, let’s make the shift together.
Tomorrow, we’ll build on this by exploring how leaders can develop resilience—not just in themselves, but across their teams—to navigate setbacks and uncertainty with confidence.