“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford
Why does mindset matter?
The world has undergone a dramatic transformation in the past 30 years that has arguably accelerated in the past few years due to the worldwide pandemic. Old rules no longer apply, boss-centric style of leadership no longer works. and motivating a remote workforce is a daily reality. Open access to information (good and bad) for all parties is unprecedented. The role of the businessperson/executive/salesperson (stakeholder) needs to transform and so do the organizations they work for.
Most organizations today are focused on product knowledge, closing techniques, monthly sales numbers, and marketplace data collection and analysis, yet so very few focus on the personal and organizational mindsets needed for true success. With the current failure rate of new companies exceeding 50% (and climbing) and with organizational costs running rampant, it may be time we consider digging deeper into the lesser-known world of growth mindsets.
With tangible/measurable results in the spotlight, mindset falls into the category of soft and hard-to-quantify skills. Companies hope for success, without really considering if overall organizational mindsets are positive and functional enough to serve both the interests of the individuals and the business at large. After spending 30+ years on the business front line, I can clearly say that the mindsets (yes…there are more than one) needed to thrive in the ever-increasing complexity of business/life environments, are in very short supply.
Institutions (businesses, governments) typically take growth mindsets for granted and as intrinsically established into every person in the organization. Having a growth mindset is essential to long-term success for any stakeholder, but I can say with confidence through observation and personal experience that it does not occur naturally very often, if ever. It needs to be cultivated and encouraged.
So much of a person's professional life is spent in education, training, skill building, gathering data, and real-world experience. We spend a disproportionate amount of our time in conversations and meetings speculating on our customers, our industry, our competition, and even each other. Modern workers are often tracked by apps that report their every movement and conversation back to management so they can make “better-informed decisions''. This is moving people further and further away from the growth mindsets that will truly produce sustainable results.
What is a growth mindset and why should we care about it?
In a nutshell, a growth mindset is the ability to be energetic, creative, and adaptable, bringing your full resources to a situation despite what life throws at you. It is understanding the value of solid plans while simultaneously having the ability to flow with spontaneous opportunities. It is mental strength, confidence, and trust in self that you are skillful at finding solutions.
Don’t get me wrong, industry skill-building and product knowledge are important, but without a growth mindset you can be standing in a giant field full of opportunities, and be totally oblivious to what’s right in front of you. I have experienced this phenomenon personally and continue to see it in others.
To give you an example, one of my growth mindsets has served so well that it has become a personal mantra. “All problems have solutions”. From this mindset I can bring all my creative resources to business/life challenges and by doing so, more often than not, I can find a workable win/win solution. After this mindset produced repeated success, I started to make the logical leap towards the mindset of “Solved problems provide expanded opportunities for learning and growth”. One positive mindset builds on the other creating momentum, producing positive energy and great results.
A famous quote from Nelson Mandela clarifies this perfectly “I never lose. I either win or learn.” This is the perfect ground for a growth mindset. Every conversation, interaction, and situation is seen as an opportunity for growth in all areas of life (you win and make progress) or learning (tools in your toolbox for the future). Continued motivation to bring your full resources to every situation.
Having a growth mindset is akin to having a magic wand when interacting with your family, friends, and co-workers. When being positive, open, resourceful, and curious, there are very few negative outcomes. If problems are seen as opportunities and we have gratitude for factors like enjoying human connection, the potential to do business, and learning new perspectives, we are always winning across the board.
Let’s take a moment to look at the more pervasive, flip side of a growth mindset (a fear mindset). Life can often feel like a pressure cooker of high-pressure time demands that can often leave us feeling stressed to the max. When under this extreme level of pressure and stress, we often do not feel our most resourceful. We could even feel fearful, leading to judgement, resentment, and maybe even a little paranoia that people are working against us. Working from a place of fear might produce some short-term results but is not long-term sustainable and will lead to overall dissatisfaction and even total burnout.
Imagine going into meetings with clients/coworkers/supervisors feeling scrutinized, fearful, and triggered. How resourceful would you be? How much joy and satisfaction would you get from your position? How inspired would you be to dig deep to solve problems or discover new opportunities? What would the culture of the organization look like?
With this fear-based mindset, we will be sensitive to words, tone, body language, and heck even the wrong look may send our mind spinning. One bad day of productivity or a slow response to a proposal will have us questioning our competence and life choices. Our emotions spiral downward, and we become unhappy and unresourceful. Almost all creativity, skills, and natural abilities are significantly diminished. (You get the picture)
“Having access to the right mindset is a superpower for organizational/life success” -Dave Fyfe
Having the right mindset is truly a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we want a successful career, amazing productivity, healthy relationships, and a work/life balance, it all starts with a growth mindset. Because it is human nature for our default mindset to lean towards fear and scarcity, we need to spend time building our growth mindset muscle, making it more prevalent and our go-to thought process in all areas of our lives. As one positive result builds on another, our success mindset grows and starts to run the show.
By deepening our collective understanding of our various mindsets and how they impact us day to day, we can put ourselves in the position of choosing a different mindset and thus a different path. The goal is to spark awareness so that we can access our innate abilities, skills, and unique gifts and by doing so, open our minds and energize our spirits.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
Dave Fyfe
Business Success Coach & Strategist
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