What Mindset Means? How Improving Your Mindset can Make You a Great Leader!

Mindset has been an increasingly used term when it comes to personal and professional development. Through a structure selecting of ideas, the mind set encourages you to have continuous growth.

The idea behind it is that our predisposition to thoughts is reflected in our behaviors.

So, you've probably heard about how important it is to go through a mindset shift in order for certain goals to be achieved.

This transition is presented as the first step to foster the desire to commit and learn new things, to accept challenges and always evolve through lifelong learning.

So if you are ready to take a step further and become a great leader, achieving a leader mindset is a key point. In this reading we will explore deeper all about this idea through the following topics:

• What mindset means? 
• What are the types of mindset?
• How is the mindset created? 
• Why is an agile mindset important?
• How do I find my mindset?
• Is it possible to change the mindset?
• How can I improve my mindset?

What mindset means?

Mindset can be understood as a set of beliefs and values that shape how you make sense of reality and yourself.

Different from what many believe, mindset is not the same as attitude and it is not related to someone’s intelligence, personality or character. In fact, it concerns a person's way of thinking.

In other words, it is directly related to our particular way of perceiving and living life, as well as the pattern, the way we act in typical day-to-day situations.

According to Carol S. Dweck, professor of psychology at Stanford University in the United States, your personal beliefs play a key role in determining whether you will be successful in what you want.

The mindset is crucial to fostering the desire to commit and learn new things, accept challenges and grow as a person.

When progressive-minded people try and fail, they don't see it as a failure and aren't disappointed by it. In fact, they see it as a learning experience that can turn into change.

What are the types of mindset?

In his publication Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dr. Dweck defends the thesis that there are two types of mindset: fixed and growth.

Fixed Mindset

These people believe that qualities, such as their amount of intelligence and talents, are inborn, fixed and immutable.

As an example, if we present a problem that is difficult to solve to a group of children with a fixed mindset, they believe that they cannot do anything about it, since the solution of the problem depends on skills beyond their abilities.

Growth Mindset

On the other hand, there are people with progressive growth.

These people believe that it is possible to develop and improve qualities and talents through commitment and hard work.

Let's go back to the example of children.

Now, however, we present the problem to a group with a growth mindset: they will face a challenge that can be solved through lifelong learning.

How is the mindset created? 

In her study, Dweck suggests that a person's childhood experiences, whether at school or at home, influence the way they view life.

Therefore, a specific situation in their life history, if seen as something definitive, can last and impact their future behaviors. Want to know how the two types of mindset work? See the examples below:

Growth Mindset

Children who are taught to explore, process praise, and embrace new experiences are more likely to have a growth mindset.

They do not see mistakes as failures, but as an opportunity for development.

For them, it is easier to feel like a winner. They seek for challenges and are always proving themselves in the classroom, not being afraid of being evaluated “will i succeed or fail”.

Fixed Mindset

Children who are taught to look smart rather than enjoy studying tend to develop a fixed mindset and they take those lessons from the classroom in their careers.

People who are afraid of not meeting expectations and need a constantly confirmation of their intelligence also have a fixed mindset profile.

Dr. Dweck highlight “I've seen so many people with this one consuming goal of proving themselves— in the classroom, in their careers, and in their relationships.”

However, it should be noted that a growth mindset is not enough for a person to be successful. In fact, mindset is important to reaching your potential.

When it concerns the corporate universe and successful leadership, the agile mindset has a slightly different bias: project management through agile methods.

Why is an agile mindset important?

With several advantages over the traditional management model, the agile mindset is the guarantee that the project has adaptability and flexibility, making it much more assertive and close to customer expectations.

Check out some of the pillars of its application in a project:

• Interactivity: characteristic that guarantees cyclical processes and continuous monitoring
• Advancement: as the project evolves, continuous deliveries are being made and subject to severe customer validation
• Self-organizing teams: everyone knows what they have to do, they do it masterfully and they work in an organized way. It is not the manager's role to dictate what should be done, their objective is to guide and act as a facilitator for the team.
• Cross-functional teams: the agile team must be formed by professionals with knowledge in different areas
• User inspection: it is one of the great differentiators of agile. Advocates that changes are made immediately, making the project fully adapted to customer demands
• Maximize value: the agile team must always be thinking about adding value to the proposed solution and avoiding wasteful actions.

How do I find my mindset?

Self-knowledge is crucial for improving your leadership skills. So, it is time to find out your mindset!

To get started, read the following sentences and think about which ones you most agree with:

1. People have a certain intelligence and there is no way to change that
2. Regardless of who it is, there's not much you can do to improve your basic skills and personality
3. People are able to change who they are
4. Abilities can be developed and it is possible increase your intelligence
5. People are born with talents or not. There is no way to achieve talent in areas such as music, arts or sports.
6. Studying, dedicating yourself and practicing new skills are ways to develop new talents and skills.

If you tend to agree with statements 1, 2 and 5, then your mindset tends to be fixed.

On the other hand, if you believe that sentences 3, 4, and 6 are correct, you tend to have a growth mindset.

Is it possible to change the mindset?

Did you take the above test and find that you have a fixed mindset? No need to despair, here you will find help you develop a growth mind.

Contrary to what a person with a fixed mindset might imagine, it is yes possible to change your mindset. Here are some tips to achieve this:

1. Accept that your mental attitude needs to change

The first step you must take is to understand that the mindset you are living with is not the best one so a change in thinking is needed.

2. Identify your counter-mindsets

Mindsets are formed by your memorable experiences and events.

If these experiences were negative for you, this can generate what are called "counter-mindsets", which are negative thoughts that pop into your head and get in the way of your daily routine.

We all live with such thoughts, but when we identify them, it is possible to fight them and prevent them from having so much influence in our lives. There is an NLP technique called reframing that helps in situations like this.

3. Focus on positive thoughts

After identifying the thoughts that are holding you back, the next step is to "turn the key", that is, focus on positive thoughts.

For example, it is common when we look in a mirror to notice mainly what we consider our flaws, our negative points.

Realizing this, you should practice having the opposite reaction, turning the switch. What does that mean? You must force yourself to look and comment on your strengths and feel good in front of the mirror.

Are you struggling to identify your strengths and need a little extra help to get to know yourself more? Read our article self-knowledge as a leadership principle that brings some tools that can help you in this analysis!

4. Start small to finish big

Big changes don't happen overnight, they are the result of a set of small steps that are taken daily. That's why it's important to set small and achievable goals to start your change and, as you improve and hit the goals, you can increase them.

This continuous improvement generates well-being and accumulates positive results, which is essential for a change in mindset.

5. Get comfortable with failure

Finally, it's crucial that you understand that no significant change comes without commitment and a lot of hard work.

That's why it's critical that you give yourself the right to fail, as it takes the pressure off having to do everything perfectly on the first try. That way, you can learn from failures and your end result will be even better.

How can I improve my mindset?

One of the main tips for developing a positive mindset is to be constantly looking for improvement and growth. If you aim to improve your mindset and become a great leader, our Leadership Development Program is designed for you!

Want to know how to jumpstart your career and become a true leader?

Discover the Leadership Development Program for FREE, which prepares you to be a complete leader through personal development, communication techniques, feedback practices and coaching concepts to help you achieve high performance.

Do you know the importance of self-knowledge in shaping a true leader? Knowing your options and weaknesses is fundamental for you to be ahead of a team and be prepared for the most adverse situations.