A growth mindset is key to innovation

As a profession, lawyers have not always been known for their “growth mindset”, the phrase coined by Carol Dweck in her bestselling book and multi-million views TED talk. The alternative, having a “fixed mindset”, a tendency towards being more risk-averse and questioning of change, is increasingly a barrier to the collaboration and innovation required to meet real-world challenges.

 I believe that developing a growth mindset is the most critical piece of any innovation strategy or training programme. New technologies are emerging all the time and, while digital literacy is essential, it is not always possible to keep pace with all the new tools that are emerging. However, if training focuses on encouraging new ways of approaching challenges, staying open to learning  and being willing to try new things, then lawyers will be  able to make the most of those technological opportunities for the benefit of their clients.