Our life is what our thoughts make it.

Being a skier for almost 35 years I decided to give snowboarding a go. I had the same goal of getting down the slopes but with an entirely new way and process of achieving that same goal, always up for a challenge!  With many years as a skier under my belt, I had the basic transferable skills such as balance, knowing the slopes and also what I thought were the same ways to access the slopes.  Little did I know snowboarding would be a totally new and different experience and with that, I had to adopt a totally fresh and open mindset to this new skill.

In a professional capacity creating an open and agile mindset equips you to not only grow as a leader but also learn and adopt new skills and ways of thinking. Agility is a mindset, not a process, and your actions reflect your mindset.  Every action has a thought and feeling attached to it.  These thoughts and feelings trigger the action or behaviour you demonstrate in and to your team.  To adapt and upgrade to agile thinking you need to be able to “renew your mind”. So why is it some people are open to new ways of thinking whilst others seem to never question things and like things to remain the same? The simple answer is we are all wired differently based on experiences, values and the way we see the world. Can we change that? Yes absolutely!

When you can consciously doubt something and get to the point where you can openly say, “I don’t know” this can assist you in developing yourself and the team you are leading. Having a clear mindset that is open to change and new ways of thinking and doing will serve you for the greater good.

There are two clear mindsets we can adopt, a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, the latter being the one you would most want to adopt.

Fixed Mindset:

This mindset assumes intelligence is something you do or don’t have and when a fixed mindset takes place we see the following behaviours:

  • Feedback and criticism often ignored or avoided
  • Threatened by the success or achievements of others
  • Look at effort as a total waste of time
  • Give in and give up on things easily
  • Challenges are avoided

Growth Mindset:

When adopting a growth mindset you are open to the fact that intelligence can be developed and usually you have a desire and want to learn.

Some typical behaviours include:

  • When the going gets tough you persist
  • You look at effort as part of the journey to mastery
  • You enjoy and embrace challenges and overcoming obstacles
  • Criticism for you is a way to learn and better yourself
  • You look at others to learn from and gain

So how open is your mind? Do you use doubt as a tool for growth and lead with a growth mindset? What can you do today to adapt and upgrade to agile thinking?

Renée Giarrusso

 

Renée Giarrusso, Lead Coach, Trainer and Founder of Metamorphose Consulting, works with high performing Executives and teams across a myriad of industries and organisations. Her expertise in growing and developing capability and behavioural change around leadership, communication, transition and sales effectiveness leaves her clients inspired, re-energised and with improved results.

Contact us for a chat and see how we can collaborate with you for even more success!