Are there people born to lead and people born to follow? Or do we all possess leadership potential? I believe the latter to be true. That is why I spend a lot of time talking with my clients about ways to empower themselves, take charge of their lives, build their self-confidence, and develop strong leadership qualities that they can use in every aspect of their lives. Everyone can be a leader but not everyone can be a great leader. While there are multiple factors that play important roles to make a difference, today I would like to talk about MINDSET.
Mindset determines everything. When we have a “Growth Mindset”, we see opportunities and potential through challenges and crisis. WE accept changes and even welcome failures. Actually we don’t even believe in failures because “Either you Win, or you Learn” with a growth mindset. In the meantime, if we have “Limited Mindset”, we see limitations and obstacles along the way. When we have a growth mindset, we will be more resilient and adaptable as a leader. A growth mindset is a flexible approach to conflict that allows us to take a step back, reevaluate the situation, make the necessary adjustments, and get back on track without missing a beat. Conversely, a rigid approach, or “limited mindset,” can result in one unexpected event derailing even the most carefully thought out plan because there is no room for adjustment.
Along those lines, it is worth mentioning that allowing yourself to make appropriate adjustments is not the same as giving in to pressure to avoid making difficult decisions. When leading a team, you may experience push back from team members who have opinions that differ from yours or who think they have a better way of doing things. You may think that as a leader you must stand your ground at all cost, but that is not the case. Growth mindset allows you to be open to different opinions with curiosity and acceptance. It shows your team that you value their opinions and have the confidence to approach every situation objectively with an open mind.
As the world is constantly changing around us, we can probably all relate to being faced with circumstances beyond our control. So how do you react to those types of situations? Do you try to control the uncontrollable with limited mindset? Or do you lead with growth mindset and see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow?
