As a leader, you are not only influencing others, but impacting them – for better or worse. We all have the ability to uplift or dishearten others. But by adopting a leadership mindset, we can ensure that to the best of our ability and intentions, we impacting others in a positive way.
Your impact stems directly from your mindset as a leader, because your mindset affects your behaviours, which then affects your results. So what is your mindset?
The term “mindset” means a mental attitude or inclination. Our attitude determines our behaviour, and our behaviour produces specific results. If you are getting effective results from those you are leading, you are having a positive impact on them, and therefore yourself. And vice versa.
Are we getting the results or having the impact we want, or are we experiencing unwanted results and outcomes? By looking at the relationship between our mindset, our behaviour, and our impact, we can integrate all three components to generate the results we reallywant.
Your behaviour is representative of your mindset. As a leader, you want to maintain a leadership mindset. If your perspective is filled with negativity or limiting beliefs, then you have a mindset that will negatively affect others, and will not give you the results you desire. If your mindset however, is on success, strengths and positivity, which are qualities of a leadership mindset, then you will positively influence others and achieve your desired results.
We often engage in behaviours without considering that we have a choice in whether or not to engage in them. If our circumstances are not going the way we desire, we may feel and act like a victim. But if you make different choices about your behaviour and change your actions, your results will change. You can stop being a victim of your circumstances.
It is important to note that changing your behaviour is not sustainable unless you change your negative mindset to a leadership mindset. A great example of this is what happens when people lose weight. If they just change their behaviour – such as eat fewer calories – they lose weight. But if they don’t change their mindset around food, exercise and a healthy lifestyle, they rebound and gain their weight back because they haven’t changed the underlying problem – they haven’t changed the mindset that drives them to overeat.
Changing your behaviour without changing your mindset is not sustainable. Changing your mindset, however, creates sustainable behavioural change.
This week observe your impact on others, observe your actions as you carry them out, and observe your mindset as it fills your thoughts and shapes your attitudes. When you notice negative, limiting thoughts, make a choice and shift your perspective to an abundant leadership mindset.
