Episode 10: "Think Different, Lead Different: How Your Mindset Shapes Your Leadership Legacy"
Hello, hello and welcome to the People-Forward Leadership™ podcast, a journey of exploration into what it means to be a truly people-centered leader.
You know, as I reflect on what it means to be an effective leader, I often come back to a fundamental truth that I coach leaders, professionals, managers, and even people looking to make a change or up level their lives and careers, and that’s: if you want different results then what you’ve been experiencing, particularly as a leader, you have to think differently first. Why is that true? Because our thoughts shape our actions, and our actions create our results. It's that simple and that profound.
I’m currently working with a CEO, who when we started, was frustrated with one of his executive team members performance. He would say things like, ”They just don't have what it takes. I’ve given them chances, but they keep dropping the ball." When I asked about his development strategy for the employee he would just say why would I waste the investment when they can barely handle their current responsibilities.
Now I know listening to that it may seem obvious that’s NOT the approach you should take with your people. But how many of you have secretly harbored a similar belief about a co-worker, colleague, or manager?
After some coaching, that leader began to see that his beliefs about his team member were creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. It took time because he firmly believed they weren't capable, so he wasn't delegating meaningful work, wasn't investing in their growth, and was micromanaging and criticizing their every move. He was basically setting them up to fail. And guess what? The results he was getting perfectly matched his beliefs – not because his beliefs were accurate, but because his beliefs were directing his actions and his actions were creating those very results.
This is cognitive behavioral theory in action. Our thoughts drive our feelings, which drive our actions, which create our results. If you believe your people aren't capable of growth, you won't take actions that help them grow. If you believe you've already "arrived" as a leader, you won't expose yourself to new ideas or overcome blindspots that limit your effectiveness.
Now let me just say that belief in someone alone isn’t enough, but it’s the foundation for success. Everyone can develop in their leadership, but not if you believe there’s only one way to lead or because they don’t think like you then they lack the basic capacity. I mean if that’s the way you think, it’s not your team member that has the problem really, it’s you.
So whenever you feel stuck or frustrated as a leader you must first ask yourself: What do I currently believe about the situation? What do I believe about my abilities as a leader? What do I believe about my team's potential? These beliefs aren't just passive opinions – they're actively shaping the results you're creating every single day.
And it starts by moving from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. With a fixed mindset, you believe capabilities are static and circumstances control your actions and results. You believe things like “you either have what it takes or you don’t." With a growth mindset, however, you believe capabilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. You know your circumstances do not dictate your outcomes.
Leaders with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges, resist change, give up easily, ignore constructive feedback, and feel threatened by others' success. They don’t have a coachable mind, they talk more then they listen, and strive to be right instead of learning. But leaders with a growth mindset embrace challenges, adapt to change, persist through obstacles, learn from criticism and feedback, find inspiration in others' achievements, and listen for growth and evolution.
It’s like the three attitudes toward learning. The arrogant attitude – "No one can teach me anything" – is a classic fixed mindset. The naive attitude – "Only one person can teach me everything" – limits your growth to a single perspective. But the teachable attitude – "Everyone can teach me something" – embraces growth in all its forms.
A fixed mindset is like what John Maxwell calls a “leadership lid.” As a leader if you have a lid on your own growth, you’ll also place a lid on others through your beliefs about them. If you believe your team members have limited potential, that becomes the lid that constrains their growth.
Think about it – how many of your leadership challenges right now stem from your own thinking patterns? If you believe delegating is risky, you'll create overwork for yourself and underdevelopment in your team. If you believe giving feedback is uncomfortable, you'll avoid crucial conversations that could transform performance.
And as you think about Maxwell's 5 Levels of Leadership through this lens of a growth or fixed mindset you can see where there’s a “lid” and where’s no “lid.” For example, level 1 is Position – people follow because they have to. This belief is about authority and control. People just need to do what I say. Level 2 is Permission – people follow because they want to, which requires believing that relationships matter, which can make you believe you have to be friends with your team to lead. Level 3 is Production – people follow because of results, which requires believing in accountability and excellence or believing you have to perfect, right, or the subject matter expert more than a true leader.
Level 4 is People Development – people follow because of what you've done for them. This level requires a fundamental belief that your primary job as a leader is to develop other leaders. This is stepping into a growth mindset because to grow and develop others you have to first grow and develop yourself. And Level 5 is Pinnacle – people follow because of who you are and what you represent, which requires believing in legacy-building.
Most leaders hover between levels 2 and 3 because of limiting beliefs about what leadership really is. They believe leadership is about being liked (Level 2) or getting results (Level 3), but they don't yet believe it's about multiplication through others (Level 4).
To reach Level 4, you need to believe that developing others is not just a nice addition to your job but that it's the core of your job. You need to believe that your success as a leader isn't measured by what you do but by what others become capable of doing because of you.
So how do you begin to shift these beliefs? Again, it starts with awareness and you’ve heard me talk a lot about that on this podcast. Pay attention to your self-talk about leadership situations. When a team member makes a mistake, what's your immediate thought? "They're incompetent" or "This is a growth opportunity"? Your thought will determine whether you respond with criticism or coaching.
Next, challenge your beliefs by asking yourself good questions. If you believe "my team isn't ready for more responsibility," ask yourself: "Is this absolutely true? What evidence might disprove this? What if I'm creating this reality through my actions?"
Then, experiment with new beliefs. Try on a different thought like "My team has untapped potential that my leadership can unlock" and see what actions naturally flow from that belief. Test it for just one week and observe the results.
One of the most powerful questions you can ask as a leader is: "What if I'm wrong?" What if you're wrong about that underperforming employee? What if you're wrong about the need for control? What if you're wrong about your own limitations? What if you’re just wrong? This question opens the door to new possibilities.
So, as we wrap up, I want to leave you with some practical ways to examine and expand your leadership thinking:
Start a thought journal – at the end of each day, write down three leadership thoughts you had and ask whether each thought expanded or limited possibilities, opportunities, or outcomes.
Practice the "What if?" technique – when facing a challenge, ask "What if the opposite of my current belief were true?" and explore that perspective.
Create a personal board of advisors who will challenge your thinking, not just affirm it and check in with them often to expand your thinking.
Schedule regular learning experiences that push you outside your comfort zone. Engaging with an executive coach can really help you with that and give you the accountability you may be lacking.
When it comes to your team:
Before every one-on-one meeting, consciously choose to believe that person has greater potential than they've yet demonstrated.
Delegate a task this week that you don't think your team member is quite ready for – but provide the support they need to grow into it.
Ask team members to teach you something – reinforcing the belief that growth flows in multiple directions.
Replace "They can't" thoughts with "How can I help them?" thoughts.
Remember, people-centered leadership requires people-centered thinking. If you want different results as a leader – more engagement, higher performance, stronger retention, deeper bench strength – you have to think differently first. Question your assumptions, expand your beliefs, and watch how your leadership impact grows as a result.
The greatest leaders understand that leadership isn't just about what you do – it's about who you become and help others become through the power of belief and expectation.
That’s it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining me, and until next time, keep leading people forward. I'll see you soon.
