The start of the year is typically a time of reflection and goal-setting. While it’s critically important to set objectives and have a plan, we’ve found there’s a factor even more powerful in predicting whether you succeed or fail. It’s your attitude and mindset.
Just think of a sports team that sets goals for winning, hires coaches, lays out a practice schedule, etc…but then only sometimes shows up for practice, doesn’t listen to the coach, makes poor grades in school, etc…You get the point!
In our experience working with dozens of organizations, leaders & teams, we firmly believe that mindset & attitude is the ultimate game changer that determines winning…or failing.
Taking it a step further, our experience tells us there are specific key attributes that characterize a “growing mindset.” We call them the “5H’s”…or the “5 Attributes of Growing People.”
Here they are in order of priority…including “what they sound like” (so you can see them more clearly in yourself and others):
ATTRIBUTE: When it’s there… vs When it’s lacking…
HUMBLE: “I have a lot to learn from you” vs “I need you to think I’m amazing”
HUNGRY: “I want to win…willing to sweat” vs “I’m good…don’t rock the boat”
HEARING: “I ask good questions…and listen!” vs “I can’t stop talking”
HEEDING (doing): “I push myself to do what I’ve learned” vs “I always come back to ‘my way”
HARDY (resilient): “I have grit. I fail, regroup and continue” vs “I easily stop when I hit an obstacle”
As you review the list, note that there are personality types that gravitate toward certain combinations of these attributes. For example “Hungry & Hardy” are close cousins that you’ll often find in certain types of people, while “Humble, Hearing & Heading” might be a more common combination found in others. The point is that some of these will come more naturally to your personality, while others will take a lot more work.
So, how do you make this actionable? Assuming you want to change & grow (an important prerequisite), here’s a simple way to assess yourself: 1) read each attribute slowly, 2) for each one divide 100 points across “when it’s there” vs “when it’s lacking” depending on where you feel you’re more heavily weighted (ex Humble: 25 “when it’s there” vs 75 “when it’s missing”…which would mean I’m more on the “lacking” side of humility) , 3) look for attributes where you have the least points on “When it’s there” and think of specific actions to take.
To make it even more valuable, also ask someone else to assess you. It takes courage…you may find a discrepancy (your view vs their view), but it’s an incredible gift to get this kind of external perspective.
So what’s stopping you? Remember, growing people are “hungry” and therefore not afraid of gaps. In fact, they see them as opportunities. So jump in, evaluate yourself and accelerate your growth into overdrive!
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