Mindset Matters ... in SO many ways

Dr. Sara Reed
Oct 15, 2024
2 min read

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to learn and to grow from people in multiple industries. As I sat listening and taking notes, which is the way that I do things, it brought me back to a key concept when it comes to individual growth and leadership growth: mindset. Mindsets are not permanent and are often impacted by a variety of things in our circumstances, including if we've slept recently or had a snack and the people that we surround ourselves with.

After watching a speaker, I pulled out my pens (yes, I carry more than one color regularly … my mom’s influence in my daily life.) I started sketching the different ways that the perceptions of our environment, resources, and our perception of people can impact our success (And how we are willing to help other people be successful).

I came up with three questions that summarize work that started in the 1950s … that help understand why mindset matters.

❓ How do you view your environment? Does it impact you or do you impact it? (Locus of control)

❓What do you believe about resources? What/who can I rely on? (Scarcity or abundance mindset)

❓What do you believe about people (including yourself) and what they/you can accomplish? (Fixed/Growth Mindset - Carol Dweck)

There are a lot of ways for our mindset to impact what we think about our environment, resources & people.

If we think we can't impact our environment (locus of control), we can fall prey to a victim mindset.
If we think that resources are limited in scarce, we will see competition in places it doesn't exist. We will damage relationships. We will judge others.

If we think we are born smart, talented, or insert other characteristic, we will limit the opportunities for growth and development - for ourselves and those we lead.

BUT, instead:

What if we think we can possibly influence the environment? We will set goals. We will take action. We won't let setbacks get in our way.
What if we see resources through an abundance mindset? We will work with people instead of competing against them. We won't live our life or lead with a win, lose mindset. We will seek to expand access to resources - for others and by extension for ourselves.

What if we see effort and feedback as opportunities to be better, instead of critiques of who we are? What if we see people for the potential and possibilities they have, instead of as fixed people who can't change or grow? We create relationships, teams, and organizations that can make amazing things happen. We build people up around us, not seeing them as limited in capability or as competition. we create teams and organizations that are rich with feedback in a way that elevates everyone.

One of my favorite books on this topic: