Why Mindset Matters

Mindset… it is the one thing we find that differentiates successful business leaders from those who can never seem to climb that mountain. We work with organizations of all sizes, from entrepreneurs to Fortune 50 organizations. Mindset is something good leaders have learned to master for the benefit of themselves, their teams and their business.

It doesn't matter what kind of business you are in. If your mindset is negative, your business is going to be negative.

How you approach each day is going to determine how you handle the problems that come your way.

If you wake up in the morning with a negative mindset, only thinking about how difficult your day is going to be, how bad your problems are, then there is a good chance your day will both start and end on a negative note. You will likely worry more about silly things you can't change vs working on more productive strategies and tasks that will move your business and life forward.

Here is the definition of mindset according to the World English Dictionary:

Mindset – the ideas and attitudes with which a person approaches a situation, especially when these are seen as being difficult to alter.

The problem lies in the fact that every day is going to present a challenge of some sort. Some weeks you may feel like all you deal with are challenges and problems.

Have you ever thought that maybe your mindset is causing more problems? Could you be so focused on the negative that you are not giving yourself or your team time to move forward, to actually conquer the challenges and solve the problems.

Let me give you a few examples of how your negative mindset could be impacting you. Below are some comparison of the positive and negative impact.

Negative vs Positive Mindset

`1. The challenge: Social media technology is always changing.

Negative: You wake up thinking “oh no, what will Facebook do today to further destroy their algorithm.

Positive: You wake up and think “ooh what news will there be today that offers better technology changes for me connect with my audience and clients?

2. Challenge: Business not moving forward as fast as you would like it to.

Negative: You go to lunch and complain about how you have no time to create the new services you are planning to launch.

Positive: You go to lunch and discuss positive strategies for how you can modify your business model and empower your team to further meet your goals.

3. Challenge: Sales team is not making quota.

Negative: You attend an afternoon meeting and get frustrated that your sales team is not making quota. You storm out of the room with no resolution.

Postive: You attend the same meeting and learn your sales team is not making quota. However, the change is you stay to ask why, learn and discuss what needs done to help the situation.

4. Challenge: Your budget gets cut at last minute before new quarter starts.

Negative: You find out your budget got cut for the next two quarters and you cancel all events and social media investment via quick email you sent to your team. You are ticked that they have proven zero ROI for the past 6 months they have been working on integrating social media.

Positive: You leave the office a bit early. You hit the gym, eat a nice dinner at home (or out) and spend time with family or friends to unplug, followed by a good night sleep. You then conquer the problem in the morning vs making rash decision on your way out the door. You take time to analyze the real impact of the budget cuts. You then look at your budget holistically to see where the right cuts should be made with a focus on what is and is not bringing a measurable return.

Why Mindset Matters

The truth is your mindset impacts everyone around you. If you are a leader in your organization then you must realize what you say, what you do and how you approach problems will have immediate and direct impact on your team, stakeholders and anyone you work with.

Good leaders embrace change. They embrace challenges. They welcome them as new opportunities to establish new growth, hit new markets, challenge traditional thinking. They leverage challenges to inspire teams to work together, to find new solutions to problems by innovating.

If you have a positive, “we can figure this out” mindset, the chances are much higher that your team will too. On the flip, side if you approach each problem like it is an international disaster zone, then your team is likely to do the same.

If your business is not where you want it to be, I challenge you to quit worrying about Facebook and LinkedIn for a day. I don't even what you to think about Twitter or Google+. Instead, dig deep into your own being.

Dig into your why. Why did you start your business or career in the first place. What motivates you. What is your vision? Where do you want to go? Why do you want to go there? Are you helping your team get there? Or are you just throwing the obstacles right in front of their faces and feet?

Be the leader who inspires human beings. The human beings who work for you, with you and support you. Treat them as human. Clear your own mindset so you can inspire them to do the same. You might be surprised how much your words, body language, decisions and actions of all sorts are impacting your team in either a negative or positive way!

Changing your mindset may be the simple yet most challenging thing holding you back from achieving real success in both life and business.

Try it. I double dare ya'!

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