
Clear Confident Leader Weekly Observer, Issue #64
From the Greenbelt of Boise Idaho, Frosty Blue Sky morning
You must change your state of being. You cannot change radically within the same state.
– Peter Ralston
What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
– Kimbal Anderson
I was co-facilitating a program this week, preparing an experienced group of trainer/facilitators to deliver a new coaching program within their organization. As we started I asked, how do you feel about this?
“I’m not ready.” “I’m anxious and concerned.” “I’m a little fearful, we didn’t have time to prepare.”
What if you knew you couldn’t fail, only learn and grow?
“I’d be more confident.” “I’d relax and enjoy learning.” “I’d have fun.”
It’s pretty amazing how changing our state of being from “fear of failure” to “the joy of learning and growth” can transform us. The words we choose have deep emotional impacts. Consider the self-judgement that arises when you think of your life in the context of success and failure, good and bad.
The judgements create either-or thinking and foster a fixed mindset based on fear and doubt, leading us to hold back, and limit what we’ll consider.
By letting go of the "fear of failure" we open ourselves to discover what works and what doesn’t, improve our skills and develop ourselves; we adopt a growth mindset. As Peter Ralston describes, “The skill level we developed while growing up is not the end of what’s possible. It is simply where we stopped.” We can restart and continue to learn and grow throughout our lives.
This change of being has a huge impact on organizations. The research by Carol Dweck and others is pretty clear, employees in Growth Mindset Workplaces are:
- One-third more likely to feel a strong sense of ownership and commitment to the organization.
- About half more likely to say their colleagues are trustworthy and their organization fosters innovation.
- About two-thirds more likely to say the organization supports risk taking.
I work with teams and leaders to create better results through the conscious practice of leadership using a Growth Mindset. Let’s create a better future today!