Your Mindset Matters

The recent news cycles have been hard to ignore. I’m seeing leaders react by leading with a fear-based mindset and then missing opportunities to grow, learn, and flourish.

Leading from fear means you cling to what’s safe and known and so you stop innovating. It means you focus on holding on to what you have instead of adding to it. Priorities become misaligned and core values can become forgotten. You act from a place of emotion without wisdom, making more mistakes and creating chaos for your team.

Even the best and most seasoned leaders can set their eyes on the wrong horizons. In tough times, no one feels the risks more than the leader who is responsible for the success and security of their business and people. That’s a heavy weight to carry and sometimes that weight can cause you to look to the danger instead of to the dreams.

Leaders have a direct impact on the mental wellbeing of everyone on their team. If you bring fear to work with you, you will definitely share it with those whose eyes are on you. They need you to bring your best for them, and that starts with a healthy mindset. You owe it to them to face and deal with your mindset honestly and healthily. Pretending to deal with it is just that - pretending. You owe it to yourself and your team to authentically work through this.

When I’m feeling stuck, I plan my way out of it. I map a path forward - or two, or three - so I can see my way through and understand my options. Seeing that plan gives me hope and the ability to get to work and move forward. Instead of reacting to circumstances, I lean into them and work through them.

If you’re feeling stuck right now because of the headlines or changes in your life, shift your mindset by shifting your focus. Set your eyes on what you can accomplish instead of your circumstances. Start a few years out, then one year out, and continue to work backwards to right now. This Inc. article talks about the importance of remembering the forest when all you see are trees and it’s an important part of the planning process.

If you’re having trouble seeing the path forward, a planning nerd can help. Reach out today and let me help map your plans. Sometimes you just need someone outside the situation to bring a new perspective. Let’s get to work.