Many of us are familiar with the profound impact of one's mindset. It is what separates high-performers from the rest of us. However, this week's podcast episode has introduced me to a fresh perspective on the immense power of mindset.
In a recent thought-provoking conversation with Susan Hobson, a high-performance leadership coach and host of the "The Leadership Launchpad Project," I learned that our mindset influences more than our words! Yep, when we speak, the vast majority of what our body language, facial expressions, energy, and voice communicate stems from our mindset.
Your ultimate success or failure is determined by the type of mindset that fuels your autopilot system.
Today, we'll delve deeper into the insights and strategies Susan shared on mindset to help your team cultivate a growth mindset.
Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset
Dr. Carol Dweck, the utmost expert on mindset, brought her groundbreaking insights to a popular audience in her book Mindset. To simplify the concept of the book, Susan put it into the context of the high achievers and the high performers. She said that a FIXED mindset characterizes high achievers. These individuals are those who strive for external validation as if their survival solely lies on it.
The reason that those with fixed mindsets operate this way is that they run on fixed beliefs. They cling to a narrative that says, "I'm only as good as my latest win." In the fixed mindset, intelligence and competency are seen as fixed or finite.
A GROWTH mindset, on the other hand, defines the high performer. High performers believe there's always more to discover in our capacity to do things. The growth mindset propels a high-performing brain into a constant state of curiosity, viewing results not as wins or failures but as invaluable feedback. Based on my conversation with Susan, this perspective is the compass guiding high performers toward discovering their full potential.
Embracing a Growth Mindset
One of the many tasks of a manager is to bring out the best in their people. In today's fast-paced and ever-changing business landscape, the ability to adapt, learn, and grow is more critical than ever. As a manager, you play a pivotal role in shaping the culture of your team, and one way to do so is by encouraging a growth mindset.
Be a Role Model
Susan shared that for you to help your team embrace a growth mindset, the number one approach should be through role modeling.
According to her, if there's one thing you can do as a manager that can make the biggest impact on the growth of your people, it is to be a role model that you want your people to follow.
That means you must have a growth mindset and fully embrace it. A study has shown that only 7% of communication is what you say to your people; the rest of the 93% is non-verbal–55% body language and 38% voice, tonality, and inflection. If you don’t have a growth mindset, your team is going to know it. Regardless of what your words say, they’ll pick up on the 93% of your expression of your true mindset.
Be Self-Aware
Another effective strategy to help your team embrace a growth mindset is to raise self-awareness. To quote Susan, "Self-awareness is the mother of all skills in the mindset arena.". And I couldn't agree more. After all, you can't effectively address what you're unaware of.
For your team to effectively run their autopilot on a growth mindset, they must understand how they show up every day and identify areas for improvement. As Susan wisely emphasizes, awareness comes before intelligence.
One impactful way to kickstart this journey towards self-awareness for you and your team is to dive into a compelling book and dissect its wisdom. This collective learning process not only encourages people to reflect and deepen their understanding of self-awareness but also promotes a sense of unity within the team.
Nurturing a growth mindset within your team is not only necessary for individual development but also for the overall success of your organization. As a manager, your leadership in this area can inspire a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Embracing a growth mindset is the key to adapting to change, achieving excellence, and thriving in today's dynamic modern workplace.
For an in-depth discussion about mindset, listen to my entire conversation with Susan HERE.
Connect with Susan:
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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.
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