Ever feel like you’re just winging it as a manager? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. But what separates the truly exceptional managers from the mediocre ones boils down to their mindsets. Having the right mental attitude and approach is half the battle.
Today, we’re going to dive into the managerial mindsets that can propel you from so-so to superhero status. Get ready to shift your perspective and unlock a world of leadership mastery!
1. The Growth Mindset: Embrace the Learning Curve
Let’s kick things off with a mindset straight out of the brilliant mind of Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck. I’m talking about the growth mindset – the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.
Why is this so crucial for managers? Because the alternative – a fixed mindset where you think your talents are set in stone – is the antithesis of learning and development. As a manager, you need to be committed to constant improvement, for yourself and your team.
Adopting a growth mindset means:
• Embracing challenges as opportunities to stretch yourself
• Persisting through obstacles and setbacks
• Seeking out feedback to identify areas for growth
• Having a passion for learning new skills
To cultivate this mindset, start by paying attention to your self-talk. Are you beating yourself up over failures or treating them as building blocks? Reframe struggles as chances to develop grit and resilience.
2. The Coaching Mindset: Bring Out the Best in Others
Legendary managers like Sir Alex Ferguson weren’t just strategic geniuses – they were world-class coaches committed to bringing out the best in their players. You need to approach your team the same way.
With a coaching mindset, you see your role as helping others unlock their potential through guidance, support, and opportunities for development. It’s about building people up rather than beating them down with harsh criticism.
To instil this mindset:
1) Get curious about your team’s motivations, strengths, and goals. The more you understand them, the better you can tailor your coaching approach.
2) Ask guiding questions more than you give directives. Help them find their own solutions.
3) Offer frequent feedback focused on progress and growth, not just results.
The coaching mindset takes work, but the payoff is a more engaged, motivated, and high-performing team.
3. The Systematic Mindset: Work Smarter, Not Harder
Let’s be real – you can’t achieve managerial greatness through sheer hustle and chaos alone. You need a systematic mindset, an approach focused on efficiency, processes, and working smarter.
Start by analysing your current workflows and identifying pain points, redundancies, or areas of inefficiency. Maybe you’re having too many meetings, micromanaging instead of delegating, or dropping balls due to disorganisation.
Once you identify the gaps, it’s time to get systematic with solutions like:
• Implementing productivity tools and apps to streamline processes
• Practicing prioritisation methods to focus on high-impact work
• Holding office hours instead of infinite meetings
• Documenting standard operating procedures
• Using Kanban boards to visualise workloads
The goal? Eradicating chaos and working in a calm, focused, productive state as much as possible. It’s the path to 10x’d results with less burnout.
With these three transformative mindsets – growth, coaching, and systematic – you’ll be well on your way to management mastery. But we’re not done yet! Let’s look at some final mindset shifts to round out your superhero powers.
4. The Servant Leadership Mindset
Despite the “leader” in your title, servant leadership is the mindset where it’s at. Instead of being a self-serving authoritarian, you exist to serve and support your team.
Practice humility, empathy and putting your team’s needs first. This mindset builds astronomical levels of trust and loyalty. People will go to battle for a leader like you.
5. The Abundant Mindset
Too many managers approach their role from a scarcity mindset – the belief that there’s only so much success, money, or opportunity to go around. This breeds territoriality and an inability to celebrate others’ wins.
Shift to an abundant mindset where you realise that your team’s success is your success. Their growth doesn’t diminish you – it expands the whole pie for everyone to enjoy a bigger slice.
6. The Perpetual Learner Mindset
The day you stop being a perpetual learner is the day you become a decaying manager. Commit to always staying curious, adapting to changes, taking risks to experiment with new approaches.
Read books, listen to podcasts, take courses – always be filling your managerial toolbox with new instruments to draw from.
By combining all of these mental modes, you’ll not only elevate your own game, but create unstoppable teams and incredible organisational success.
Remember, mindset shifts don’t happen overnight. It takes commitment, discipline, and tons of self-awareness. But master these mindsets and you’ll be operating from such a powerful place of perspective, potential, and passion.
Are you ready to start your transformation from mere manager to expert leader? The hardest step is taking that first leap to change your mindset. Do that, and no mountain will be too high to summit.
