Mindset - Special Edition
The Friday Five - Issue 25
Challenging leaders to maximize their potential
Terry Wetzel ~ Summit Leadership Development
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Mindset
This special edition of the Friday Five is all about mindset. “Mindset is the first thing that matters and the last thing anyone works on. The person who approaches a problem like an opportunity has an advantage that the person who only sees an obstacle will never understand. Sooner or later people realize that everything comes down to mindset.” This quote by Shane Parrish illustrates that your mindset will make or break you as a leader. It will influence your decision-making and problem-solving abilities, as well as your ability to inspire and coach your team. Having the right mindset can help foster positive culture, drive change, and ensure long-term viability and growth for you and your organization.
It’s a Choice
A positive mindset takes work, but it is a choice. Once you realize this, you will become much more effective. This does not mean you should ignore difficult situations, less than stellar financial statistics, or conflict; it means consciously approaching these things with the right frame of mind. You get to choose, remember that. Is this an inconvenience to be solved, worked through, and handled? Or is it a perceived crisis that will knock you off dead center? You choose. Odds are, it is an inconvenience. Get busy solving it. Your team is watching.
Mindset, Excellence, and Culture
Maybe more than any other factors, the mindset and actions of leaders set the tone for the culture of an organization. How leaders conduct themselves, treat others, and react to situations is what creates the backbone of a strong culture. Culture is not some separate “thing” just lurking around in a company; it is comprised of every decision and interaction leaders make and hold themselves and others accountable for. When leaders have a mindset that allows them to make strong decisions, on a consistent basis, that are communicated clearly and with kindness, “culture” thrives. Your mindset is either contributing to or taking away from your culture. Which is it?
A Coaching Mindset
One of the best things a leader can bring to his/her team is a coaching mindset. You showing up consistently with this mindset is the difference between building a team that follows instructions and building a team that solves problems. Do you view your team members not just for who they are today, but for who they are capable of becoming? Are you are investing in their long-term value rather than just their daily output? People will work much harder to implement an idea you helped them discover rather than one that was handed to them. A coaching mindset creates buy-in naturally because the team feels they are actual stakeholders in the plan.
To Think About
If my team/colleagues adopted my exact mindset, what would it look like?
Am I finishing my days exhausted because of the work, or because of the friction I created as a result of my mindset?
Do I view my difficult employees as problems to be solved, or as people who lack the tools to succeed?
Do I extend the same benefit of the doubt to my team that I expect them to extend to me?
Do I surround myself with people who validate my frustrations, or people who force me to see another perspective?
Quote of the Week
"If you believe it will work out, you'll see opportunities. If you believe it won't, you will see obstacles."
– Wayne Dyer
Book of the Week
I have mentioned Brené Brown before and recommended a few of her books. Dare to Lead is one of her first books and also one of her best as it relates to mindset. For leaders, having the right mindset means leading with courage, and this is the primary message of the book. This would make a good “book club” read and is full of topics that could be discussed formally or informally by leaders.
That’s it for this week
Be epic, not average. The world has enough average.
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The photo in today’s web edition was taken on the bay of Green Bay in WI.
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