How we think about things — our mindset — plays a major role not only in overall mental wellbeing but in our tangible success throughout our lives. Psychologically speaking, mindset is the single most important factor in determining future success. Our mindset drives action, motivation, and how we process circumstances.
For example, one individual can face hardship and see failure as a reason to give up. Others can face trials, even failure, and see an opportunity for learning and growth. These responses all come down to the mindset of the individual.
As leaders, our mindset is even more important because we set an example for others. We set the tone for the work to be done, we dictate the appropriate response to obstacles, and how we present ourselves and our work to others and the world.
Your mindset impacts your personal success. But for the leader, your mindset also affects the success of those around you, too.
So, what does a success mindset look like?
4 Qualities in a Success Mindset
1) Growth
I would wager that most of us are familiar with the idea of a “growth mindset” compared to a fixed mindset. This is the idea that those of us who believe we can change, grow, and improve ourselves — our talents, abilities, and intellect — will more readily tackle challenges and opportunities, even if we fail.
We will accept feedback more easily and adopt problem-solving strategies. Those with a fixed mindset believe that people are inherently born with talents, abilities, and intelligence that cannot truly change. This often results in approaching challenges with apprehension, as failure reflects poorly on innate ability and character, rather than presenting an opportunity to grow.
2) Learning
Believe it or not, a learning mindset differs from a growth mindset. Its antithesis is a performance mindset. A learning mindset leads to the embracing of challenges, new skills, and opportunities for mastery of new things. We’re not so much concerned with stumbling and failing along the way as long as the result is the acquisition of new knowledge or skills. A performance mindset is concerned with the perception of others.
We don’t want to be seen as incompetent, unknowledgeable, or otherwise judged negatively. Efforts to preserve our image, then, get in the way of our willingness to learn and try new tactics and activities. Appearances become much more important than real results and self-improvement.
3) Self-Trust
Self-trust (or self-confidence) plays a major role in professional success. Now, there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance. We know that much. Self-trust is believing that success is something you create for yourself. It isn’t random happenstance or luck. It’s believing in your abilities and the possibility of success. Self-trust means that you rely on your deeply held convictions and beliefs, that you recognize the hard work that led you to where you are. You recognize the skills you earned along the way and believe in your capabilities.
This confidence and agency over your performance and outcomes will spur you on to success!
You might still fear failure. That’s okay. Self-trust doesn’t mean that you don’t ever have doubts. What it does mean, however, is that you can take care of your own needs, safety, and success. Self-trust means that you are not swayed by others’ assessments of you (though you do take constructive criticism to heart). You know that you can handle anything that life throws at you. You might get knocked down, but you’ll get back up.
Resilience is the end-result of self-trust.
Resilience is a key quality in leadership, as we inspire others to maximize their potential.
4) Positivity
Sometimes, I think we equate positivity with being unrealistic. While this can be true, it doesn’t have to be the case. Positivity is not looking at circumstances with rose-tinted glasses. Rather, it is taking charge of your attitude, mood, and approach rather than letting circumstances dictate how you feel. We do not allow people or problems to define our moods. We are not passive in how we are affected and how we feel. Instead, we make the daily, conscious choice to be happy and to be positive. This positivity wards off discouragement and encourages the behaviors that lead to success.
Have you seen how different mindsets alter your outcomes? Share your experiences in the comments.