How is it that so many corporate stars — leaders at Enron, WorldCom, and the major banking institutions, for instance — are so inclined to take outrageous risks that they bring their companies, even entire economies, to the brink of disaster? I believe that it comes down to mindset. Business leadership who take unusual and unwise risks tend to share what I call a “fixed” mindset. They think they’re infallible and they want to show the world that they’re superior. This is in contrast to people with a “growth” mindset, who are more oriented to learning.