The power of mindset: Thriving in a changing world
We recently had the pleasure of hosting an event with Matthew Syed Consulting, where Matthew Syed himself joined Right Management leadership expert, Jacques Quinio for a fireside-style chat.
In an evening that was filled with fascinating insights into Matthew’s journey, growth mindset and its application within the world of work, here are some of our key takeaways.
A world in flux
Right now, change is so rapid that it’s almost bewildering, and we need to be ready to respond and adapt to it.
Our state of readiness is highly influenced by our mindset, which impacts the way we think about and respond to stimuli. Individuals, teams and organisations who embrace a growth mindset are far more capable of navigating change with a positive outlook.
Why?
Because they understand the value of failing intelligently.
Failing the right way
Individuals with a fixed mindset are likely to see failure as evidence that they lack the talent needed to achieve success, or that their hypothesis was wrong. Those who embrace the concept of growth mindset see it as an opportunity to learn and develop.
Now, of course, there are certain contexts where you never want to fail. As Matthew Syed posed to the audience on the night: “Would you want a pilot to try something new for the first time, when landing a plane full of passengers?”
Laughter from those in attendance was the only answer his rhetoric required.
But in applying a strategic lens to failure and weighing up the potential gain against the risk, businesses can more effectively identify suitable opportunities for innovation, that will allow them to extract learnings needed to pivot and grow.
Why then, hasn’t every business adopted a growth mindset already?
Growth blockers
While a lot of organisations are now looking to shift their culture to one of growth and learning, as they seek a way to harness the collective potential of their workforce, there are common blockers that many are finding difficult to overcome.
First of all, a societal desire for perfection is suppressing our appetite for risk taking and heightening our fear of failure, meaning that shifting our mindset becomes increasingly difficult.
On top of this, there is a tendency from leaders to possess a fixed mindset, particularly around wanting to have all the answers themselves – a self-imposed expectation often dictated by their seniority.
And when teams lack confidence to try new things and feel as if their ideas and opinions are unwanted by those in charge, organisations struggle to innovate in response to change.
So the question that many businesses are now asking themselves, is what steps can they take to facilitate the necessary cultural shift?
Thankfully, Matthew provided some answers for those in attendance to take away with them.
Organisational action
Put simply, growth mindset must be connected to the overarching organisational strategy and dictate behaviours that are exhibited at all levels through purposeful practice.
But what does this look like?
Measurement of progress – this enables regular opportunities for self-reflection that can provide tangibility and momentum for change and growth.
Open lines of communication – particularly when making complex decisions where diverse perspectives are required, to then inform wise judgements.
Demonstrating humility – making it clear that no idea is perfect and that feedback is welcomed, helping to create psychological safety within teams and the wider organisation.
Strategic vulnerability – especially from leaders, who can use this skill to encourage input from others and build a sense of camaraderie within their teams.
By putting behaviours such as these into practice, organisations can begin to move from a culture of ‘know it alls’ to one of ‘learn it alls’ – enabling greater innovation and resilience in the face of ongoing uncertainty.
Five things we learned from Matthew Syed
And so just to summarise some of the key things we learned from Matthew on the night:
- There must always be a risk of failure when innovating if you want to learn something new
- Humility in deliberation is just as valuable as conviction in the execution of a plan or idea
- Adopting a growth mindset won’t happen overnight and requires prolonged intentional practice
- The role of the human in failing intelligently remains crucial due to AI’s inability to bring rich hypotheses to the table
- You simply cannot drive transformation effectively with a fixed mindset
Interested in discovering more highlights from the event? Reach out to us today.
