Article by Melitta Campbell
Making sure she had the right ‘success circle’ around her was essential for getting her premiership off to a great start and ensuing she can maintain the right mindset for success. It’s the same in business. Leaders spend a lot of time getting their business up and running, but often miss the most important element. Themselves.
It can be easy to forget the importance of working on themselves, yet this is going to be what helps leaders stand out and maintain the courage to speak out and be visible.
It’s often said that ‘mindset’ is everything. Look at any successful entrepreneur and they usually all have a positive, open, successful and creative mindset. Below are seven ways to leaders can work on their mindset and move towards future success.
If things don’t go according to plan, instead of berating themselves, leaders should simply say ‘fascinating’. This will prompt them to think through what happened and what could be done better or differently next time. Ban words like: would have, could have or should have during this process and instead focus on which lessons to apply next time.
Mastery in anything is all about continual growth and development, so making mistakes and learning from them is an important part of the entrepreneurial journey and building a success mindset.
Training and self-development is something everyone needs to do throughout their career as there are always new things to learn to stay abreast of the latest business developments and trends, and skills to improve and hone.
The mantra ‘every day is a school day’ is true. As well as more formal training, wise leaders invest in daily self-development by reading books and articles, listening to podcasts and watching videos. The best investment a leader can make is in their own development.
In today’s world, leaders can be exposed to a myriad of negative influences, which can present a limited view of what is really possible. They should be aware of negative influences from the people around them, the news and publications they read and social media, as they can quickly undermine a success mindset. Instead leaders can consciously replace these with more positive influences.
A useful exercise for leaders is to think forward to where they want to be in five to 10 years. Where will they live? What will they do each day? How will they feel?
Make a vision of the future that is as exciting and inspiring as possible. Don’t worry about any current resource constraints, instead leaders should give themselves permission to dream as big and vibrant as possible. They should replay this vision in their mind at least once a day. This will program their mind to believe this reality is possible and they will soon see themselves looking at challenges and opportunities in new ways.
The simplest tools and practices often have the biggest positive impact on success. Gratitude is one of those. Each day, leaders should note down at least three things they are grateful for, then watch as negativity and doubt is replaced by a world of possibility.
Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness too. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
No one succeeds in business alone and there are no exceptions to this rule. It matters greatly who leaders surround themselves with. The people in their close circle of friends and colleagues will influence their ability to create a mindset that supports the achievement of their goals and dreams.
Business leaders can also seek out professional help from business coaches, mentors and trainers to help build their success mindset and maintain this over time; this can be particularly helpful when they aspire to be or do something that others around them haven’t previously achieved.
Last of all, remember to smile. Life is to be enjoyed and a simple smile can do wonders. It can relieve stress, boost wellbeing, and make people feel more successful and confident. Best of all it will attract more smiles from those around, and that can’t fail to make leaders feel happy and successful.
Melitta Campbell is an award-winning business coach who is passionate about helping business owners build and grow a profitable, and meaningful business. Her expertise comes from 25+ years of experience in communication, marketing, and leadership, including more than a decade of running her own successful business. For more information visit: www.melittacampbell.com
Hosted by the Women Pivoting to Digital Taskforce in collaboration with Lloyds Banking Group, this event is for women based in Leeds who are considering a move into tech or digital roles and are interested in learning more about how to transition.
