Six Mindset Shifts Every Leader Needs to Make

Deliberate Leadership is a lifelong journey.  It takes time and true commitment to being the best leader you can be. And your mindset is just as critical to effective leadership as your skill set, if not more so.

How do you approach leadership?  How do you think about it? What does it mean to you? How committed are you to being the best leader you can be?

Consider the following mindset shifts and think about where you might be on the continuum:

From Command & Control to Autonomy & Empowerment

The temptation to be authoritative, especially in times of uncertainty and a rapidly changing landscape, can be overwhelming. However, people tend to do their best work when they can have some control over how it’s done. This requires leaders to be crystal clear about the outcomes they want, while leaving the “how” to the discretion of the doer. And, it requires trust- on both sides. This shift does not happen overnight, but it’s worthy of reflection on where, when and with whom you behave in one way or the other. Determine where and how you can shift – and get to work on it.

From a Fixed Mindset to a Growth Mindset

In her wonderful book, Mindset (one of my all-time favorites), Carol Dweck teaches us about this important distinction. Those with a fixed mindset believe that abilities are innate and cannot be changed, while those with a growth mindset believe that your abilities can improve with effort and help from others.

There are many benefits to developing a growth mindset about yourself and about others, including the willingness to embrace challenges, learn from criticism, and find inspiration in the success of others.  As a leader, the ability to model these beliefs will lead to a team or organization capable of learning agility in a world of ambiguity and ever-increasing complexity.

From Avoiding Personal Growth to Embracing Change Within

Here is another mindset shift that has powerful benefits for leaders.  When you position yourself as a work in progress who doesn’t have all the answers, your team members and collaborators will be more willing to step in and help. When you are open to that, magic happens.

Embracing personal learning and development requires an increase in self-awareness, which is one of the four key skills required for effective leaders. There are many tools for increasing self-awareness, and, if you are interested in learning more about how to do this, let’s talk.

From Transactional Relationships to Transformational Relationships

Building relationships is fundamental to success at work and in life. And it’s a key leadership skill. To shift your mindset to cultivating relationships that go beyond the required transaction to support transformational is a deliberate action. It takes awareness and intention.

Transformational relationships are those that are of mutual benefit. While you are helping others develop personally and professionally, you are also growing as a leader. This is a true win/win. Just think of the role models you have had in your life that have made the biggest impact on you and decide to be that person for others.

From Risk Aversion to Risk Readiness

If you are risk averse by nature, this can be difficult, which is why it takes time and intention. You may surround yourself with others who are more inclined to take risks and learn from them. Ask questions.  Find out about their thought process to minimize negative outcomes and follow their lead.

Eleanor Roosevelt famously said “do one thing every day that scares you.” It is great advice, and just maybe you need to start with one thing a week. This shift is important as the world we live in continues to become more volatile and uncertain. Learning how to assess risks and being willing to make mistakes in the process of learning and growth is a survival skill.

From Apathy to Genuine Empathy

If you are a person who just doesn’t care about others, this will be the most difficult shift of all. If you are empathic by nature, you’re good here and maybe you can help others develop this ability.  The key word here is “genuine,” as in, this is not something you can fake.  People can see through it.

If this is your need, recognize it, accept where you are, and begin to develop some awareness on how others are experiencing the world. Trying to see things from others’ perspective and understand what they see is one of the best ways to deal with conflict in the workplace – and in life. Learn to pause before reacting, so that you can be more sensitive to the reality of others.

These are big shifts, and they may be challenging for you.  The older you get, and the younger the people you are leading are, the more important it is to make the effort. Because empowerment, growth, personal development, risk-taking, meaningful relationships, and empathy are all requirements of leading in today’s workplace – and certainly in the future.

Spend some time reflecting on these shifts and determine where you are starting, and where you want to go.

If you – or the leaders in your organization - need help with making these shifts, we should talk. I can help with a variety of resources and programs I have access to.