Having the right mindset can be crucial to achieving success. Ass a leader, having the ‘right’ mindset is what will make you the e type of leader people want to follow, while tapping into your skills and abilities to the fullest.
But, if you’re constantly doubting yourself or believe that you’re not good enough, you’re putting up obstacles before you’ve even started. If you lack the confidence to lead people, you are at risk for being the reason why people leave the job.
Having a mindset of self-belief in your ability to inspire and guide people in using their skills and talents, while creating team cohesion, is necessary for the role. But, it’s being aware of your mindset. i.e. thoughts and feelings, is crucial to effectiveness – you can’t change what you don’t know.
Changing mindset is not easy, as unlearning old patterns and ways of thinking, and along with emotions, takes time and consistency. Here are three ways experts recommend helping you build a strong and positive mindset to prime yourself for success:
- See the positives in failure
Everyone makes mistakes, but the difference between successful people and the rest is how each responds to failing. It’s easy to get crushed by failure or to allow it to sap your energy and shake your confidence. Patterns from our past can lead to berating yourself for not meeting either yours (or someone else’s) expectations.
Successful people see mistakes and losses as opportunities to learn and refocus. Once the dust settles, sit back and assess what went wrong and why. Work out how you would handle it differently next time and move on.
- Be your own cheerleader
You can maintain a positive mindset no matter what the circumstances if you pay attention to your self-talk. If you find yourself slipping into negative thoughts or you beating yourself up for making a mistake, change the script. Give yourself credit for showing up, for trying. Acknowledge your successes and learn from your mistakes.
Positive self-talk can help you see everything as an asset and as something that will help you along the path to success. Being your own cheerleader will make you more resilient and more confident that you will achieve your goals. Successful people expect to succeed. Believe you can and you will.
- Don’t compare
Social media makes it difficult not to compare yourself with others, but it can be toxic to your mindset. For a start, people only show the best aspects of their lives online. No one shares their failures or tweets about being fired or going bankrupt. You only get to see what people want to share. And they only want to share the good stuff, never the whole story.
It’s also important to remember that there is not a finite pool of success. Other people’s success does not affect what you can achieve. Someone else’s promotion or award doesn’t mean you can’t have the same level of success. But it’s up to you.
The only person you should be competing with is yourself. And if you look back, you can see all the stepping stones and successes that led to where you are today. Focus on your benchmarks and don’t worry about other people. Ilyana Vanzant, once Oprah’s coach, has a great quote: “What other people think of me is none of my business.”
Coaching Tips:
The bottom line is that mindset is needed for anything and everything we do. It will lead us to success but, it will also, lead us to a negative path and an unfulfilled life. Leaders need to keep a positive mindset daily so the their team feels satisfaction and motivated to achieve organizational goals. Here are some suggestions to keep a positive mindset (which are useful when under stress and pressure):
- Journal your thoughts daily
- Set realistic goals for you and your team
- Challenge when negative thoughts arise
- Be solution-focused to move you forward
- Read books or blogs, listen to podcasts or Ted Talks that will enrich your knowledge and skills
- Take time to rest and recharge daily
If you’re struggling with keeping a positive mindset, don’t struggle and do it on your own. Help is near and ready – reach out to learn more about services and programs. We are committed to helping you (and your team) succeed.