How Your Mindset Impacts Your Relationships
After two decades of working with leaders, I’ve seen firsthand how mindset shapes the effectiveness of high-impact leaders.
What is mindset?
It is your beliefs.
These beliefs are an invisible force that really impact your relationships and overall success.
Let me give you an example.
Recently, my client said, “Vanessa, this colleague that I work with is useless. She just doesn’t have the ability to do her job.”
This perspective is a great example of a fixed mindset.
When you operate from a fixed mindset, you essentially say, “This is how things are, period.”
My client decided that his colleague’s skills were set in stone, and she was “useless.”
Now, I’ve worked with this organization for over eight years. Trust me, they don’t hire “useless” people. They hire intelligent, competent professionals.
The antidote to this fixed mindset is the growth mindset.
We can all have a fixed mindset sometimes.
So, our goal is to NOTICE when we are fixed and SHIFT to a growth mindset.
High-impact leaders leverage a growth mindset most of the time.
They believe that nothing is set in stone. Everything and everyone has the potential for growth and improvement.
Here are some common signs of fixed mindset thinking:
- “This person is wrong, and I am right.”
- “I’m not going to try that new thing because I’m bad at it.”
- “That person who gave me feedback is so critical and just wants to attack my character.”
- “Why did I make that mistake? I’m an idiot!”
If this sounds familiar, don’t worry. We’ve all been there. But if you know better, you do better.
Here’s how you can transform these fixed mindset phrases into a growth mindset perspective:
- “We have different opinions, and that’s okay. Let’s work on understanding and appreciating each other’s points of view.”
- “I’m not yet good at that new task. I’ll keep practicing so I can improve over time.”
- “Feedback is always an opportunity for me to grow. Based on this feedback, what’s one thing I can do to improve?”
- “It’s unfortunate that I made that mistake… but what can I learn from it?”
The growth mindset is all about digging a little deeper.
Where is one area in your work where you currently have a fixed mindset?
How can you shift that perspective to a growth mindset?
I promise you that making that shift will feel empowering and energizing. Give it a try!
Want to dive deeper into the crucial role of mindset in leadership? Check out my FREE guidebook.
