How Did You First Encounter Mindset?
Sometime around 2012, a long-term client asked me to teach a module on Mindset in an upcoming leadership development program we were designing. I'd never heard of Mindset before - and was DEEPLY skeptical about something that sounded far too "woo-woo" for my taste. But as I learned more about Mindset, I realized - to my genuine horror - that I was essentially a textbook case of the less awesome of the two Mindsets: Fixed Mindset. It was not a good moment.
What Have You Done with Mindset Since Then?
In addition to teaching that first session on Mindset, I included the concept in my book on insight generation (CLICK: The Art + Science of Getting from Impasse to Insight). As I started delivering leadership development sessions on my insight-generation topic, I included a single slide on Mindset. Every time we got to that Mindset slide, nobody wanted to talk about anything else; all they wanted to talk about was Mindset. I pretty quickly realized that the conversations we needed to have as leaders were about Mindset rather than insight generation, so I shifted my focus to developing a comprehensive program on Mindset, which I now deliver to organizations around the world.
I've also been on my own Mindset journey during this time, clawing my way out of Fixed Mindset and towards Growth Mindset (the vastly superior option). One very specific technique that I now employ is NOT responding immediately to new ideas - whether they're my own or someone else's.
Previously, I tended to respond with "No, because...." By contrast, I now give my self some time to try to get to, "Yes, if...."
What Has Been the Impact of Mindset?
Personally, it has massively improved the quality of my own life - and the lives of the people around me. I'm more open, flexible, and creative. I'm more willing to take risks, experiment, and - gasp! - even fail. As a result, I'm both more successful professionally - and much happier in my personal life. Mindset is now the lens through which I approach everything in life - especially challenges. It is probably the single most valuable concept I have encountered in my life.
Anything Else You'd Like to Share?
I encourage you to pay it forward and share Mindset with others. All of us (and I do mean All. Of. Us.) have work to do in the Mindset space - and it's a lot easier and more effective if you're not working on it in isolation. Share Mindset with your family and work on it together. Bring Mindset to your teams and colleagues at work. Whether at work or at home, look for opportunities to integrate Growth Mindset elements into the day-to-day culture. Also be on the lookout for elements of the culture that might be allowing (or even encouraging) Fixed Mindset - and intentionally work to eliminate those things.
If you'd like help sharing Mindset, feel free to reach out to me HERE.