Leading with an outward mindset

However, focusing solely on correcting behaviour without changing |a person’s mindset might bring |about temporary improvements |that are not sustainable in the long run. 

Today’s business leaders require more than just changing their employees’ ways of thinking; instead, they need to change their mindsets to “how can I be more accountable for business results and organisational success?”

In fact, our mindset is at the core of everything we do and our ability to perform. Several clients I have worked with are sharing concerns for their people lacking authentic collaboration, especially among cross-functional and dispersed groups.

Without knowing it, they could be operating from a self-centred mindset, which could negatively affect their own or other people’s results. 

This is what the Arbinger Institute introduced as an inward mindset, a singular focus predominately on themselves and their objectives (MY result) – seeing others more as “objects” and less human. This mindset hinders behavioural change as individuals prefer to stay where they feel most comfortable and blinds them to what others need, and is; therefore, prone to creating conflicts.

An outward mindset, however, focuses on being accountable and helping others achieve their goals and to the entire organisation (OUR results), seeing others as “people”. This mindset promotes an attitude where the individual is focusing on collective success and the well-being of others by being helpful, responsible, and makes a real impact on the team effort. 

When individuals have the desire to improve and care about others’ interests, then they begin to see how they can best fulfil the needs of others in a way that creates real and sustainable results. This outward mindset creates a culture of authentic collaboration and accountability.

Businesses that consistently deliver exceptional results can sustain a market leader position because of the quality of their managers. This implies that those with a leadership mindset set the overall tone for an organisation’s culture and performance. As a result, leaders can “choose” to demonstrate the outward mindset, so that they are able to:

l Become truly accountable on achieving objectives and results for the organisation as a whole.

l Remove possible conflicts from a blaming culture; instead, promote a culture of collaboration.

l Encourage self-awareness to utilise their outward mindset by becoming more effective in their day-to-day performance.

l Bring out the true potential in themselves and others throughout the organisation.

In essence, I would say do not wait for others to change. The most significant move is for every individual in an organisation to apply an outward mindset, especially the senior managers. Then, mobilise the team or organisation to achieve collective goals. Allow people to be fully responsible, and revamp the systems and processes to support them. Leaders need to create an organisational ecosystem that energises people rather than manages objects. 

“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’” – Brian Tracy,

 

Phinyarphat Sereeviriyakul is the principal Consultant of APMGroup’s leadership and talent development business unit. She can be reached at [email protected] or www.facebook.com/apmgroupthai.