‘There are things that distinguish great athletes—champions—from others. Most of the sports world thinks it’s their talent, but I will argue that it’s their mindset’ (Dweck & Eaton, 2014)
Developing an Elite Mindset- what separates good athletes from great ones?
Mindset is an established set of attitudes of a person or group concerning culture, values, philosophy, frame of reference, outlook, or disposition (Cambridge Dictionary, 2019). This is crucially important because beliefs about ability and how to achieve success can have stark consequences for a person’s aspirations, motivation, learning strategies, and enjoyment and satisfaction (Brady & Grenville-Cleave, 2018), both in the short term and long term (Dweck, 2017). People can develop several types of mindsets; however, according to Dweck (1999; Dweck, 2006), a ‘growth’ and a ‘fixed’ mindset play key determinants in an athlete's success.
So, what is a growth and fixed mindset?
A growth mindset is the belief that one can develop and improve one's basic abilities through dedication and hard work. They believe people can cultivate their abilities and improve over time, even if others may be faster at acquiring specific skills (Dweck & Eaton, 2014). Conversely, other athletes hold a fixed mindset, a learner’s belief that their intelligence is a fixed, immutable trait (Stanford University, 2024). They believe talents are gifts.
For example, is the sled push too heavy to move, or will the weight take all of one’s strength to move? Is that doubles partnership too good to beat, or will it take a coordinated race plan to win?
In this example, the initial language is the voice of those with a fixed mindset, potentially coming from a subliminal fear of failure. If an individual says the sled is too heavy to move on the carpet at a Hyrox when they do not move it, nothing has been lost, as what is there to fail when a task is perceived as ‘impossible’ and after all the sled was too heavy to move in the first place. On the other hand, if an athlete were to adopt a growth mindset and identify that as heavy as the sled may be, it would take all of one's strength to move. Therefore, by giving full effort, the experience will provide a learning experience, even if the sled is not successfully moved, as they will receive an indication of their current abilities and create a training plan to improve and master this station in the future. An athlete with a fixed mindset does not reap the same benefit from a challenging experience.
How does an elite athlete's growth mindset impact performance?
1. They See Failure as Feedback
- Instead of seeing failure as proof they aren’t good enough, they use it as a lesson.
- Example: Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team but used it as fuel to improve.
2. They Embrace Challenges
- They don’t shy away from difficult situations—they lean into them to grow.
- Example: Kobe Bryant studied his weaknesses relentlessly, watching hours of game film to perfect his craft.
3. They Believe Effort = Improvement
- They don’t assume talent is everything; they know hard work and consistency drive success.
- Example: Cristiano Ronaldo is famous for being the first to arrive and last to leave training, constantly pushing his limits.
4. They Seek Constructive Criticism
- Instead of getting defensive, they actively seek feedback from coaches and teammates.
- Example: Serena Williams worked with different coaches throughout her career to refine her game, even after becoming the best.
5. They Adapt & Learn Continuously
- They are always looking for new ways to improve—whether through better training, recovery, or mindset techniques.
- Example: LeBron James invests millions in body recovery and training, constantly evolving to stay at the top.
6. They Don’t Let Setbacks Define Them
- Injuries, losses, or bad performances don’t break them—they bounce back stronger.
- Example: Tom Brady was the 199th pick in the NFL Draft but worked relentlessly to become the greatest quarterback ever.
How can you develop an elite mindset?
To switch your mindset, you must be intentional and self-aware (Dweck & Eaton, 2014).
Practitioners must first become aware of the language they use in challenging moments. In a state of awareness, they are then faced with a choice: to fall into fixed, immobile, harmful methods of naming their environment or recognise that they have agency, the potential to improve, and may retain optimism in the presence of challenge.
Event + Response = Outcome. This means that no matter what happens, our response contributes to the outcome.
Embrace the challenge of improving every day and understand that failure is another challenge you must overcome. Rather than dwelling on defeats, outstanding athletes capitalise on the experience to learn and grow.
Welcome feedback from coaches and use it to focus on areas of improvement.
Curiosity is an essential trait in elite athletes. Where average athletes see the success of others as a threat, great athletes find inspiration and motivation (Davis, 2021).