Manager’s mindset – why does one manager succeed and the other doesn’t?

A healthy and positive mindset is the foundation of a person’s success. It gets things moving and leads you to the opportunities and people you want. Differences in mindsets are often one reason why people cross paths, but on the other hand, it’s always possible to improve the mindset by devoting more attention and time to it.

In April’s article, we will focus on mindset – what is a mindset and how does it arise, why do two leaders react completely differently in the same situation, and where to start to create a positive mindset for yourself that leads to action and the life you want.

1. What is mindset?

Mindset starts immediately from seeing, hearing or feeling something. Mindset is like a filter through which you receive information, and create some kind of meaning from it. According to the information received, you decide how to behave, which in turn leads to a result and reaction.

The mind has several different levels that affect how you behave in different situations. The mind is divided into consciousness and subconsciousness:

• Consciousness – is the part where thinking and decision-making happens, and where we create images that are both supportive and opposite. It also includes our desire to develop our intellectual abilities. Consciousness deals with allowing or rejecting, and evaluating whether this information suits us or not.
• Subconscious mind – essentially receives all the information. There are our beliefs, fixed viewpoints and programming reside. Sometimes we react immediately to a situation unconsciously out of fear.

Our mindset has been formed over time according to the experiences we have had, from information that we have heard, and what our family has told us. Over time, the subconscious mind has absorbed other people’s thoughts and perceptions that are still influencing us.

According to self-management coach & trainer Reelika Jeferjev, it is wiser to have a neutral view. When in a certain situation, always look at things from an interesting point of view and don’t judge immediately. This way we can influence what and how we think, and as a result, we will avoid an immediate reaction that can only cause problems.

2. Why does one manager succeed and the other doesn’t?

Our mindset has a very strong influence on whether or not we succeed at the end of the day. The mindset of success consists of a healthy mindset and self-image, i.e. how you see yourself and your abilities. Such a healthy way of thinking is life-supporting in every way.

What is the mindset of a successful person?

Successful people always believe that they are capable and can do it, and know that the best opportunities will come to them no matter what the circumstances. They believe in themselves and in success.

A person with a healthy mindset reacts positively to the situation and looks for opportunities. The other, however, negatively. People’s life stories are so different, so there’s no point in judging someone for thinking negatively. In such cases, self-management coach & trainer Reelika recommends setting an example so that this person can make this positive change by themselves. They simply have not been taught a healthy way of thinking, perhaps by their loved ones, and therefore tend to think negatively immediately.

Example: You have an accident with your car and you damage it. A person with a negative mindset gets upset because the money is spent and curses the person who managed to do it. A person with a healthy mindset doesn’t react negatively to the situation or focus on what is missing or wrong, rather than sees opportunities in the situation. A person with a positive mindset has grown up in an environment that has supported their way of thinking.

5 tips to achieve a successful mindset: 

• Build a growth mindset – this way you are able to grow and learn through effort. People who believe that they are capable of growth are more likely to achieve success.
• Improve your emotional intelligence – control and pay attention to your own emotions, and learn how to listen to others and their nonverbal signals and body language. 
• Be capable of adjustments – when plans or situations change, step back and look at ways to cope, and don’t take them as obstacles. 
• Develop mental toughness – believe in yourself, cut out negative self-talk, and look at setbacks or failures as learning opportunities.
• Create a long-term vision instead of only short-term goals – you can’t reach a destination if you don’t know where you’re going. Before setting your short-term goals, you first need to write a long-term vision of success.

To succeed, you have to be patient, consistent, and positive, and not to give up when you don’t see immediate success. To attain a healthy mental attitude, you must consciously engage in developing a mindset to remain calm in any situation.

3. Why do leaders react completely differently in the same situations?

The difference in mindsets is the main reason why people react differently. Another reason has to do with the left side of the brain, which is associated with emotions and creates the need for people to react.

Before we can analyze a situation, our left brain side, the emotional environment activates, and we react immediately. A person with a positive outlook does not feel threatened when someone tells them something, but instead tries to listen and figure out how to move on from this. A person with a negative mindset may feel threatened in such a situation and react accordingly. 

People react completely differently in the same situation because our experiences and ways of thinking are different. Usually there is an immediate reaction when the thinking is more programmed to negativity. They’ve never monitored their mindset and emotions, often see danger in every situation and person, and feel the need to protect themselves. They always see the worst-case scenario rather than the best scenario.

How to control your emotions to not react immediately:

• Understand your emotions – think about what you feel and what triggered it. You can’t control what you feel, but you can choose how you react to it.
• Count to 10 to think before speaking – stepping back and analyzing the situation can help you to understand it better and choose your response more wisely.
• Develop emotional resilience – it helps to build your capacity to cope with stressors and challenges. Find yourself activities that give your mind and body fuel, surround yourself with positive-minded people, avoid negative self-talk and remember that setbacks and challenges are natural steps on the path to growth.

If you always see things rather negatively, bring yourself back to a place where you are actually safe and calm, train yourself to think more positively, and refrain from imagining the worst-case scenarios. The subconscious mind generates thoughts that aren’t actually always 100% true.

4. How to develop your mindset? Where to start?

You can develop your mindset by creating a much more positive image for yourself if you have previously seen things only as negative.

What to do for developing a mindset:

• Image – if you want to reach to the top and succeed, then you should create an image of how you want to see yourself. This feeling works like a magnet that begins to attract the desired result.
• Change – both people and the environment around us are in constant change, even if we aren’t noticing it. The more open you are to change, the simpler and easier life becomes.
• Difficult – if you think that everything is difficult, you are programming yourself with danger. Negative thoughts will not bring you closer to your dreams. Instead, think about what you want in your life and move towards it.
• Danger – this is a form of being in a negative mindset. It has been ingrained in us since the primeval times where we had to be more careful to survive. While worrying and fearing everyday, think, is there really a reason for that? Look at yourself as a friend and give yourself advice, so you don’t react or get defensive.
• Negative thoughts – program positive thoughts to avoid them. If there are a huge number of negative thoughts, try to reduce them at first, get them under control and find better feelings instead. Work on your negative thoughts – they are not truths, they are thoughts.
• Stability – if you have a desire or a dream to achieve something in life, be sure that it’s possible, even if it may not be successful immediately. People often want a new home and if it doesn’t work out right away due to some reasons, then they start to give up. Instead, release the negative thoughts around it and create a positive vision and think that anything is possible and move towards it. If one can do it, so can the others.

The mindset of a successful person is given to many people by their parents’ attitude, and also from the people around them. However, if you have not gained such a standpoint from your close ones, then you have to work on it by yourself. Changing negative thought patterns may take time, but it’s very beneficial in order to see life in a positive way. As a result, new opportunities and people will come to you, and it’s much easier for you to achieve success in different areas of life.

Are you ready to achieve top performance as a leader, or do you want to gain more knowledge on how to deal with challenging situations? If yes, then Reelika Jeferiev’s training sessions are definitely for you! Feel free to contact us and we will find the training according to your wishes!