UGBS International Relations Unit Hosts Prof. Jill Klein for a Two-Day Seminar on Resilience and Growth Mindset
The International Relations Unit of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) hosted Prof. Jill Klein, Professor of Marketing at the University of Melbourne, for a two-day seminar focused on resilience, growth mindset, and leadership across academic and professional contexts. Prof. Elikplimi K. Agbloyor, Coordinator for the unit welcomed participants noting that UGBS is committed to developing well-rounded leaders in managerial competence, mindset, character and emotional intelligent leadership.
The first session was held on 14 January 2026 at the UGBS Graduate Building, featuring a presentation on “Leading with Resilience.” Prof. Klein’s lecture explored the concept of resilience from both psychological and practical perspectives, with emphasis on its relevance to modern leadership and personal development. Prof. Klein examined the distinction between a fixed (static) mindset and a growth (developed) mindset, explaining that individuals with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges and give up easily, while those with a growth mindset embrace challenges and persist despite setbacks. She defined resilience as the ability to cope with unexpected changes and challenges, stressing that it goes beyond merely “bouncing back” to actively finding meaning and growth in adversity.
She further discussed how individuals appraise negative situations, why events happen, what they mean, and what can be done in response. Addressing feedback and failure, Prof. Klein highlighted the importance of taking responsibility where appropriate, avoiding global and permanent self-blame, and refraining from attributing all challenges to external factors. Drawing on personal reflections, including her father’s liberation stories during the holocaust, she illustrated resilience in extreme adversity. She also recommended selected books on stress and resilience to support participants’ continued learning.
Prof. Jill Klein at UGBS delivering her presentation
The second day of the seminar was held at the O&G Examination Hall, Korle Bu, and was organised by the University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, in collaboration with the University of Ghana Business School. This session was designed to empower healthcare students and professionals and focused on the topic “Errors and Stress: Growth Mindset and Resilience in Studying and Practising in Healthcare.”
During her presentation, Prof. Klein discussed cognitive dissonance. She described it as the discomfort individuals experience when confronted with contradictions, such as deciding and later learning it may have been wrong or receiving information that conflicts with deeply held beliefs. She examined the mental processes of self-justification, the tendency to tie personal identity to perfection, and the challenges of managing mistakes and negative feedback in medical practice.
Prof. Klein emphasised that errors are an inevitable part of studying and practising in healthcare due to human fallibility, cognitive biases, and limited cognitive capacity, particularly in high-pressure and complex environments. She noted, however, that how individuals respond to errors is critical to learning outcomes and patient safety. She advocated for the adoption of a growth mindset, explaining that mistakes do not diminish a person’s intelligence or professional worth but should be viewed as correctable events. By separating self-worth from performance, healthcare students and practitioners are better positioned to acknowledge errors, seek feedback, and focus on improvement. This approach, she noted, transforms errors into learning opportunities rather than sources of fear or shame.
The session concluded with an interactive discussion, during which participants asked questions and shared concerns, further deepening understanding of resilience, stress management, and professional growth.
Day 2 of the seminar at O&G Examination Hall, Korle Bu.