Whether you’re looking to develop new skills, become a better leader or approach challenges with more confidence, the right book can help shift the way you think and learn.
At Found, we’re always looking for ways to learn something new, and having a growth mindset is a big part of how we approach personal and professional development. With that in mind, I’ve shared five growth mindset books that have genuinely influenced the way I think about learning, leadership and career development.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but these are books I’ve found particularly helpful in applying growth mindset concepts to my day-to-day life and work. I hope they inspire you to explore new ideas, embrace challenges and continue growing.
What are the best books on growth mindset?
1.Mindset by Dr Carol Dweck
The original growth mindset book. It takes you through what a growth mindset is and how your mindset is the key to everything – e.g. if you think you can or if you think you can’t, you’re right. There are also some great tips on how you can train your mind to become more growth focused. A great intro to the concept.
2.The Squiggly Career by Helen Tupper & Sarah Ellis
A brand new book but a game changer in how we think about career development and growth (a big passion of mine!) It’s helped me understand that growth in our careers isn’t always linear but actually comes in many different shapes and paths, each with something new to offer and learn from. It’s a fantastic way to start thinking about defining these possibilities and being open to them.
3.The Outward Mindset by The Arbinger Institute
This book helps you change the way you think about yourself, how you think of other people and the way you work with people, helping you change the outcome of your life experiences. It really takes growth mindset and leadership to a new level. It is enlightening, thought provoking and helps you think about how you interact with others to get the best outcome.
4.The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier
Coaching for me is key to helping your team develop a growth mindset, and is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a manager. This is a fantastic book on how to develop a coaching habit to ask more powerful questions, overcome obstacles and empower your teams. One I would recommend to any manager/leader/HR professional.
5.How to Fail by Elizabeth Day
I’ve kept the best for last, my all-time favourite book for growth – I’m a big fan of the podcast too. Although this goes through a lot of personal stories, I feel there is a lot to learn from these. By reframing failure as an opportunity to learn or guide us in a different direction, it really helps us to develop a growth mindset. Instead of seeing failure as a negative, it’s an opportunity to grow and learn, and in turn, build resilience.
Our top growth mindset books at a glance
| Book | Best for | Key takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Mindset by Dr Carol Dweck | Understanding growth mindset | Learn the difference between a fixed and growth mindset |
| The Squiggly Career by Helen Tupper & Sarah Ellis | Career development | Growth doesn’t always follow a straight path |
| The Outward Mindset by The Arbinger Institute | Leadership and relationships | How changing your perspective can improve collaboration |
| The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier | Managers and leaders | Use better questions to help others grow |
| How to Fail by Elizabeth Day | Resilience and learning from setbacks | Failure can be a valuable part of growth |
*Book links are Amazon ‘Smile’ links where Amazon will donate 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees) of eligible purchases to a charity of your choice.
Overall, I think all of these books are a good start in helping to develop a growth mindset – each with something unique to offer. Of course, the whole point of a growth mindset is that it’s not a ‘one and done’ type of deal, so I’m sure I’ll be reading (and learning) a lot more this year!
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