Two Keys to Leadership: Mindset and Feedback

View obstacles as opportunities and learn to give and take feedback. These two practices, alone, can make you a better leader.

THE CHALLENGE: Ask 10 people about the characteristics that make a great leader, and you’ll get 10 different responses. Google is no help, with results like “10 Unique Perspectives on What Makes a Great Leader” and “The 5 Essential Qualities of a Great Leader” and assorted numbers aplenty.

It’s all thought-provoking information, but is any of it useful? Much of it is vague (“command respect”) or takes years to master (“develop your focus”).

But if you want a simple blueprint for better leadership immediately, start doing two easy things: View obstacles as opportunities and learn to give/take feedback. These two practices, alone, can make you a better leader.

Adopt A Growth Mindset

Recent research has uncovered the two mindsets through which all humans make decisions — fixed and growth.

People with a fixed mindset see a challenge and say, “There’s no way we can get this done. We need more capital. More time. And our team has a history of failing in these situations.”

Those with a growth mindset see the same challenge and say, “We’ve failed in the past, sure, but this new obstacle is a wonderful chance to see what we’re made of. It will show us how much we’ve grown as a team.”

It costs nothing to adopt a growth mindset, and you can do it immediately. Make the word “failure” synonymous with “learning” and start seeing obstacles as development opportunities. You’ll quickly see changes — less stress, more productive conversations, confident decision-making and more.

Give and Receive Feedback

This is your mechanism for defending something you believe in. By offering corrective and constructive advice on how to behave, you’re protecting the sanctity of process.

Leave no stone unturned. If you see behavior (even well-intentioned behavior) that’s out of sync with an important process, offer feedback. Be respectful, but be relentless. Tell teammates why their behavior is out of alignment with the process. Explain the implications of their behavior. Guide them toward a solution, and then give them a chance to demonstrate corrective action.

But … you have to ask others to do the same for you. Elicit feedback from the people around you — even subordinates — and make an honest effort to change based on their recommendations.

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