The Outward Mindset: How to Change Lives and Transform Organizations
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The Outward Mindset: How to Change Lives and Transform Organizations
“Leaders fail,” Paul explains, “by coming in saying, ‘Here’s the vision. Now you go execute what I see.’ That’s just wrong in our view of the world.” Continuing, he says, “Although leaders should provide a mission or context and point toward what is possible, what humble, good leaders also do is to help people see. When people see, they are able to
... See moreA manager who wants her team to exhibit more of an outward mindset can lead that effort by building with them an implementation plan of consistent outward-mindset strategies and actions. For example, given that lateral awareness is a key indicator of mindset (as discussed in chapter 10), the team might decide to devote five minutes of every team
... See moreAs their story illustrates, when you sufficiently improve the mindset—either of an individual or of an organization—you no longer have to specify everything each team member is supposed to do (the way those who operate from a behavioral model often assume). As the mindset changes, so does the behavior, without having to prescribe the change.
What can I do to be more helpful at work? What can I do to be more helpful at home? What can I do to be more helpful to those I know and to those I don’t? What can I do? And will I see myself and others in ways that will enable me to do what I can do?
Journalist Brenda Ueland, in her insightful essay on listening, “Tell Me More: On the Fine Art of Listening,” provides interesting insight regarding the simple potency of trying to “see others” through listening.
She lives in the presence of wonder at their thoughts and abilities and therefore provides space for them to create and grow and for her to create and grow in response to them.
A person whose mindset is outward sees others as people. Seeing them as people, he realizes that others matter like he himself matters. And because they do, their needs, objectives, and challenges will matter to him as well. As a result, his objectives and behaviors will take others into account. In a work context, a person with an outward mindset
... See moreA related reason why people resist making the most important move is that they think an outward mindset will make them soft when hard behavior is required. But this is a misunderstanding.
while it is true that behaviors drive outcomes, it is also true that another factor—mindset—determines what behavioral options will occur to a person in the first place and what behavioral choices one will then make from among those options.