What is it that sets extremely successful people apart from others? Take a second. We’ll wait…. OK, so what do you think? Is it that they can work harder than others? Well, in short, that’s part of the equation but no. That’s not it. Successful people have only become successful after more failures than most could even imagine or endure. It’s their grit to keep working toward that goal no matter what until it’s achieved. This comes not only from their “grit” but also their growth mindset. So, what exactly is a growth mindset? It’s the belief that talents, skills, and intelligence are malleable and can be improved with practice, hard work, and time. Why do you ask if is it important in business? Well, without this type of mindset success will not come. One has to implement this to keep the brand afloat. Trust us, we know from experience since we started Locomotive Content from the ground up. Here are our top 3 ways to help your growth mindset flourish or develop one if you haven’t already.
1. Seek feedback: whenever, wherever, and from a multitude of people. Look to mentors. Look to those already in your industry. Seeking feedback will help make the brand better and being able to take constructive criticism well to use it as a tool can be the thing that makes you stand out as a leader. Don’t be afraid to ask your team if you have one already their thoughts. Not only will they feel respected, they will be happy to help. Because when you succeed the business succeeds and so do they. It’s a win-win for everyone.
2. Embrace your failures: failures are a learning lesson. As much as failing at something is no fun, embracing your mistakes is the only way to begin to get curious as to why something didn’t work out in the first place. Then you can begin the process of improving and/or changing things to achieve that same goal. Remember those successful people we talked about in the intro? That’s what they all did over and over until they got it right. Failing upward.
3. Look for the hard stuff: find challenges and run at them head first. Being uncomfortable is a great way to increase your skill set. What have you got to lose? The answer is nothing. You fail. You learn. You succeed and you have learned something new about yourself and your business. So, look for projects that might be slightly out of your skillset wheelhouse. It might be uncomfortable at first but you’ll thank yourself later.
Well, that’s it. Sounds easy but it can be challenging and there are many more ways to help you develop a growth mindset as a leader for your business. Remember to focus on taking pride in the journey and celebrate the small wins. Lessons learned along the way are priceless. As Rainer Maria Rilke said, “The only journey is the journey within.”
