Posts Tagged ‘leadership mindset’

From working with clients recently and reading some excellent books, I am noticing just how often mindset is coming up as a big contributor to leadership and personal success.   It got me thinking about some of the most successful people that I had the opportunity to work alongside in my 25 years in the accounting profession and during my time in business.

As a nation, particularly in the UK, we often get caught up in this mindset of believing that it is what we do that matters.  Now while action is clearly an important part of achieving success, I have noticed over the years that:

It’s not always the academically brightest people who achieve success in professional accounting exams.

The people who get to the top of their profession rarely do so because they excel in the technical detail.

There comes a point much sooner than most of us expect where academic achievement just gets us to the starting post.

A  global coaching client survey by the International Coach Federation identified that the number one reason why people choose to work with a coach is related to self esteem and self confidence.  Now if there was ever a big indicator that mindset matters then this recent survey confirms it.

So what’s different about those who have a winning mindset?

They get clear about what they want to achieve in the longer term.

They get clear about why they want to achieve something.  It is the why that provides the motivation to keep going even when the going gets tough.

They understand that preparation is key to their success.

They are willing to take calculated risks in order to move forward.

They understand that there are going to be failures, disappointments and setbacks as they strive to achieve success.

They understand that there is no such thing as a boiler plate or template for achieving success.

They keep their focus on the outcomes.

They have the personal courage to take the action they need to.

They know and are willing to ask for help when they need to.

They know that without self belief they are unlikely to achieve anything.

The Bottom Line – Leadership and Personal Success is as much about having the right mindset and personal resilience as it is what you do.  So what shifts do you need to make to achieve more success as a leader?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps professional people achieve more success in leadership and management roles.  He invites to check out his free audio e-course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/leaders-main.html

Taking your first step into leadership is probably one of the biggest career steps that you make.

While it is vital to learn about the tools and techniques of leading, it is also important to pay attention to making the mindset shift.

So what do I mean by making the mindset shift? I mean mentally making the shift to being a leader, which includes:

1. Recognising that you have to deliver different results.
2. Investing your time on those activities that contribute to the results you are now expected to deliver.
3. Accepting that there is going to be some discomfort as you take on new and bigger challenges.
4. Letting go of the stuff that you should not be doing any more.
5. Being ready and willing to make mistakes and learning from them.

Truth is much of stepping into leadership successfully is as much about attitude of mind as it is about what you do.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here