Mindset Shifts to Drive Executive Success

Leadership today isn’t what it used to be. There was a time when managers could succeed by: * Enforcing rules instead of inspiring commitment * Expecting loyalty instead of earning trust * Rewarding long hours instead of real impact That time is gone. The workforce has changed. Employees expect clarity, autonomy, and purpose. The leadership habits that worked five years ago won’t work today. The Data Is Clear: Leadership Has Changed * Leaders who coach instead of command see a 32% increase in team performance (McKinsey). * Only 21% of employees trust their leadership (Gallup). * High psychological safety leads to 76% higher engagement and 50% lower turnover. Old leadership habits are breaking teams. The best leaders are shifting. Four Mindset Shifts You Need to Make in 2025 1. From “Control = Leadership” to “Trust = Leadership” Micromanagement kills performance. High-trust organizations outperform low-trust ones by 286% (Harvard Business Review). Instead of controlling every detail, ask: “Here’s the outcome I need. How do you think we should get there?” Coaching Question: If you stepped away for 30 days, would your team thrive or fall apart? 2. From “Effort Matters Most” to “Impact Matters Most” Busyness isn’t a badge of honor—it’s a failure of delegation. Overworked employees are 68% more likely to disengage. Results-driven teams see 23% higher profitability (Gallup). Instead of rewarding effort, ask: “How can we get this same result in half the time?” 3. From “I Give Feedback” to “I Create a Feedback Culture” Top-performing teams give feedback in all directions (Google). If your team never challenges you, they don’t feel safe enough to. Instead of one-way feedback, ask: “What’s one thing I can do to support you better?” 4. From “They Work for Me” to “I Work for Them” The best leaders don’t see their teams as employees—they see them as partners. Instead of asking, “Why aren’t they performing?” ask: “What’s getting in their way, and how can I remove it?” The Leaders Who Adapt Will Win The best people won’t stay for outdated leadership. And the leaders who don’t evolve will get left behind. So here’s the part no one tells you: You can keep leading the same way and keep getting the same results. Or—if you know it’s time for a shift—you can reach out. Because the best leaders don’t wait until they’re struggling to change. They change before they need to. Your move.

Last week I had Joe Hudson on the podcast, an executive coach who has worked with Sam Altman, coached teams at OpenAI and other major AI companies, and other leaders at Google, Apple, Salesforce, the NBA, and many more organizations. Before that, he spent years in international stock lending and venture capital… and also time in a room meditating for 12 hours a day. His work blends psychology, neuroscience, and contemplative practice, and it has quietly shaped some of Silicon Valley’s most influential decision-makers. Here are 12 of his frameworks for building high-performing teams and unlocking personal growth: 1. Redefine imposter syndrome You can’t logic your way out of it. We’re all making it up as we go. The goal isn’t to eliminate the feeling; it’s to change the reality on the ground  going anyway. 2. Your business is a mirror Every business problem is a self-awareness problem. If you're conflict-avoidant, your org probably is too. Put attention on the root, not just the outcome. 3. Emotional inquiry When someone criticizes you or something feels off, your instinct is to push the emotion away. But leaning into it often reveals what boundary to set or step to take next. 4. Avoiding an emotion tends to block you.  The moment you feel stuck, ask yourself: What emotion am I avoiding right now? That's usually a key to unblocking yourself. 5. Experiment where you’re least confident If you're building a car and don’t know how to build the catalytic converter, start there. Otherwise, you’ll have to rebuild the whole thing later. When building anything, begin with what you're least comfortable with. 6. Let go of shame People shame you to get you to stop doing something. When you overcome shame you unlock momentum. 7. Set aside time for regular reflection, like you would for team meetings.  A self-aware CEO is powerful. But a self-aware leadership team is a superpower. Start by asking:  What’s the one thing that would 2x our results? What would 2x our enjoyment? What mindset shift would help make it happen? 8. Build from purpose, not pressure Don’t fixate on “how to build the business.” Fixate on the change you want to see in the world. That mindset is the difference between chasing dollars and building something enduring. 9. Use change as your transformation window The most powerful transformations happen during change (new jobs, major life events, pivots). You either level up or regress. AI is one of those global moments. Don’t miss the opportunity. 10. Follow visible transformation Find someone you’ve seen change dramatically level up, personally or professionally. Ask them what they did. Then do that. It’s the best proof of what actually works. Bonus: The people creating AI are super thoughtful and intelligent… they should be treated with the respect and kindness we treated people serving in WW2. https://lnkd.in/enUigucr

High performers aren’t fearless. They’ve just made peace with failing forward. When fear of failure takes over: 👉 Brilliant professionals hide their in-progress work. 👉 High-potential employees avoid feedback. 👉 Teams never innovate. People act this way because somewhere along the way, they were rewarded for perfection, not progress. But successful people respond differently to risk, failure, and growth👇 ➡️ Hide failure → Debrief failure Failure is feedback in disguise. ➡️ “I just can’t” → “I can’t yet” Doubt closes doors. ‘Yet’ keeps them open. ➡️ Only do what you're good at → Start before ready If you're only doing what you're good at, you're already falling behind. ➡️ Celebrate perfect → Celebrate progress Perfect looks impressive. Progress is impressive. ➡️ Only ask for feedback after a great job → Ask for feedback regardless The best don't wait for praise—they hunt for insight. ➡️ “I can’t” → “How can I?” Questions move you forward. ➡️ Be the best in the room → Surround yourself with challengers If you're the smartest in the room, you're in the wrong one. ➡️ Defend yourself → Be coachable Many professionals defend their performance instead of developing it. ➡️ Hide work in progress → Share messy drafts for input A messy draft is more powerful than silence. The cost of a fixed mindset is long term: 🛑 Missed promotions 🛑 Stagnant teams 🛑 Quiet rooms with untapped voices Growth is about getting better, consistently. 👇 How do you help your team cultivate a growth mindset? #mindsetshift #leadershipdevelopment #growthmindset #peoplefirst #culturetransformation #psychologicalsafety #feedbackculture #selfleadership #careeradvancement #hrleadership #ldcommunity #learninganddevelopment #employeegrowth #executivemindset #assertivecommunication #personaldevelopment