Soft Skills Spotlight on A Growth Mindset

This is the latest post in a series called Soft Skills Spotlight,

where I highlight the what, why and how of one of the many essential soft skills

that go hand-in-hand with being a leader.  Check out my previous post on

Active Listening

Today we're shining a spotlight on...a Growth Mindset

So, What is a Growth Mindset?

A growth mindset is all about believing that you can improve your skills, knowledge, and abilities with effort, learning, practice, and consistency.

It’s like telling yourself, “I might not be great at this yet, but I can improve” or “I don’t know how to do that yet, but I will learn”

Your mindset is an incredibly powerful tool and a growth mindset truly helps you look at mistakes and challenges in a different way. Instead of seeing challenges as roadblocks, you see them as chances to learn something new and as an opportunity to grow. Simply put…you learn from your mistakes.

Now you may be thinking “doesn’t everyone have a growth mindset?”

And sadly, no. There are many people out there who have what’s called a ‘fixed mindset”. They often stop when failure happens and fail to see it as an opportunity to improve. They also typically have self-limiting beliefs like “I can’t do that” or “I’ll never be able to do that”.

Why do New Leaders Need a Growth Mindset?

This really is an ideal mindset for new leaders.

You’re going to face plenty of challenges (I’m looking at you, difficult conversation) and when things go sideways (which they will) or you make a mistake (which you will) a growth mindset helps you truly see it as a learning opportunity. With a growth mindset you will look at each of these ‘challenges’ as opportunities to grow and this will only make you a stronger leader.

A growth mindset does not only serve you as a new manager, but it will continue to benefit you at every stage in your career. As a leader you never stop learning, so adopting and maintaining a growth mindset throughout your career will ensure you’re always learning, growing, and evolving.

Tips to Encourage a Growth Mindset

Don't avoid challenges, embrace them

It’s easy to avoid challenging situations, especially if it’s something you’ve never done before or something you may feel anxious about  (I’m looking at you again, difficult conversations), but try to see them as chances to learn and grow.

Don’t avoid your mistakes, own them

Repeat after me…mistakes will happen. Instead of downplaying it or burying your head in the sand, admit it, learn from it, and move forward.

Don’t avoid feedback, welcome it

I get that not all feedback is easy to receive, but sometimes a fresh perspective from someone else can help you see where things went wrong or areas you where you can improve. Accepting feedback is a great way to help improve in your role a leader.

Don’t box yourself in, stay curious

Never stop learning. Ever. Read books, listen to podcasts, read blogs, watch YouTube videos, attend workshops, ask questions—there are a million ways to learn (including the first 3 points on this list). And look for lessons and inspiration outside the topic of leadership.

Don’t only celebrate wins, celebrate effort too

Focus on the process of improving and recognize the hard work of both you and your team. Even if the outcome wasn’t perfect, growth and improvement can still happen.

Don’t focus on the failure, find the fix

Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Shift your focus to finding a solution and how you can improve in the future.

What do ALL of the above have in common? They all encourage looking for the lesson and using it to grow and develop from there.

Don't Stress about Being Perfect Right Away 

It’s true what they say, practice makes perfect. And the same can be said for working on your soft skills to become an effective leader.

Be mindful of the areas you may be resisting change or avoiding challenges and try to adjust your perspective and see those areas as opportunities to grow and be a better leader.

So, do you think have a growth mindset? Or do you think you have some work to do?

Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Leading!

Emily