If you’ve ever attended any workshop or training day with a focus on the entrepreneur, you’ll have come across the term mindset.
Mindset, as any one of a million self-help books, will tell you, is another word for the state of mind best suited for the rigors of the entrepreneurial world.
It’s no coincidence that the best leaders have the best mindsets and it won’t surprise you to know that most of them share the same core concepts.
But what exactly makes a great mindset and how can we achieve and maintain one?
I thought you’d never ask…
1. Learning To Fail – out of your mindset
Failure should not be avoided, it should be explored. The greatest leaders know that failure is an acceptable part of the learning process and that by failing we move closer to our goals. When we shy from failure we cannot learn anything. Good leaders will fail and take lessons from their failures and next time they will fail harder and better, each time learning more and more about where and how they went wrong.
2. Feeling the fear
As with failure, strong leaders do not shy from fear. Only by taking chances can we change how and what we do and only by doing that can we truly improve. If we stay only on safe, solid ground we can’t develop the skills required to survive when the ground begins to shake. Leaders with a strong mindset are not afraid of the unknown.
3. Avoiding the Negative
It’s hard to change the world when you’re constantly being told it’s impossible, not worth it or that you’re doing it wrong. There are those in the world who light up the night, for whom every day is a new adventure. These people have never heard of a mountain too high, but there are those for whom every glass is broken, every slope is slippery and every molehill is in the Himalayas. To successfully maintain a positive mindset it is essential to keep those in your circle positive and learn to avoid those who do not share your vision.
4. Mindset: Going your own way
Taking advice is one thing, but strong leaders with positive mindsets are leaders for a reason. They are not afraid to walk the path less trodden and instead of wearing down the familiar cobblestones they aim to blaze their own trail to success. Only by stepping out of the box now and again can we find our own lights to shine and if you are unsure what to do or which direction to take just remember steps one and two.
5. Keeping your eyes on the Prize
It can be tempting to let your mind wander. After all keeping up a strong mindset day in and day out is a challenge in itself. But strong leaders stay focussed. Focus is an essential skill and should be part of any good mindset. We need to be able to see what’s working and what needs help. At the same time, we need to be aware of the world at large. Cultures changes, rules are bent and what was cast iron yesterday can be rust tomorrow. By focusing our minds on the present we can learn to live with the past and accept the future for whatever it is. Strong leaders stay in the now, because that’s where you can really affect change. Sure having a grasp of what’s up ahead and a good memory of what’s gone before will also help but the key to a successful mindset is taking charge of the moment and seizing opportunity whenever we can.
What do you think?
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