Fellow Comcaster Arpit Mathur: shared some thoughts about 37Signal’s piece “Don’t be so quick to embrace your own ignorance” and reflects on confidence in the workplace.

This made me reflect on a set of material I’ve read over the past few months on what it takes to be “a success” (we’ll skip that word’s definition for now). Much of these pieces apply to the workplace, our sense of self, our belief in what is possible, with more than a few drops of advice for parents in how to inspire the right mindset in those we love.

Fortune: What it takes to be great: The secret? Painful and demanding practice and hard work

NYTimes: If You’re Open to Growth, You Tend to Grow : Those who believe they were born with all the smarts and gifts they’re ever going to have approach life with what she calls a “fixed mind-set.” Those who believe that their own abilities can expand over time, however, live with a “growth mind-set.” Guess which ones prove to be most innovative over time.

Stanford Magazine: The Effort Effect : Dweck found that people who believe personality can change were more likely than others to bring up concerns and deal with problems in a constructive way. Dweck thinks a fixed mind-set fosters a categorical, all-or-nothing view of people’s qualities; this view tends to make you ignore festering problems or, at the other extreme, give up on a relationship at the first sign of trouble. (The growth mind-set, though, can be taken too far if someone stays in an abusive relationship hoping her partner will change; as always, the person has to want to change.)

Malcolm Gladwell: The Talent Myth: On Enron: They were there looking for people who had the talent to think outside the box. It never occurred to them that, if everyone had to think outside the box, maybe it was the box that needed fixing.

NYMag.com: How Not to Talk to Your Kids: The inverse power of praise.: Giving kids the label of “smart” does not prevent them from underperforming. It might actually be causing it.

Harvard Business Publishing: Scott Berkun: How to Win by Studying Culture: An Interview with Grant McCracken: The point is not to dismantle ideas unless they stand in the way of what the new idea is. We don’t want to forget what it is we know, the knowledge we have build up of our markets and our industries over many years of expensive trial and error.

James Carr: How To Not Fit In On A Development Team: Good advice on being part of any team.