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Leadership is more than just doing the right things. It’s about being a certain type of person.  That’s the central premise behind Ryan Gottfredson’s new book Success Mindsets.  Ryan developed this idea while working as a leadership professor at Cal State Fullerton.  Leadership is too often discussed in terms of what great leaders do.  Ryan believes studying the mindsets of leaders is far more important.

[1:28]  Understanding the basics of mindset

Understanding mindsets

Ryan believes that leadership is more than just doing the right things. It’s about being a certain type of person. So, how do we tap into this being element of leadership?  It all comes down to mindset.  Our mindsets are the mental lenses that we wear that shape how we see the world.  How we see the world shapes how we think, how we learn and how we behave.  Ryan believes that if we can help leaders develop more healthy and more positive mindsets, they will naturally operate more effectively.

[3:10]  How to provide useful feedback to your co-workers

[6:24] The power of constructive criticism

Becoming an empathetic leader

Too often, leaders jump to conclusions about the motivations of their co-workers.  They assume the worst.  But a simple shift in mindset can produce much better outcomes.  Try assuming the best of your co-workers.  Instead of telling them what to do – ask questions instead.  What led you to being late today?  What impact did that have on the rest of the team?  By asking a series of questions your co-workers will become much more self-directed.  No one likes to be told what to do.  So by assuming the best and guiding them to a solution you can avoid an ugly confrontation.

[9:12] How to incorporate microlearning into your daily routine

Developing a better mindset

The cool thing about focusing on mindsets is that they can be changed relatively easily.  Ryan’s research has revealed that short exercises really work.  Watching a three minute instructional video or writing a few short paragraphs can change behavior almost immediately.  The key is to do it on a regular basis.  Continually engaging in a positive mindset can create dramatic results. 

[11:20] How our childhoods affect our adult mindsets  

Choosing the right compliments

Mindset starts at a really early age. Research has found that our parents compliments will shape our mindsets when we’re adults.  For example, research finds that if we are complemented with labels such as ‘you’re so smart’ or ‘you’re so funny’, then we develop what’s called a fixed mindset.  That means seeing the world in terms of haves and have nots.  You’re either smart or you’re not.  But if you’re complimented in terms of the effort that you provide, then they’re much more likely to develop more of a growth mindset. And so when we become adults, how we see failure and challenges will be different and we’ll respond to those situations accordingly.

Ryan Gottfredson’s Bio

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a cutting-edge leadership development consultant, author, trainer, and researcher. He helps improve organizations, leaders, teams, and employees by improving their mindsets. Ryan is currently a leadership and management professor at the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton (CSUF). He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University, and a B.A. from Brigham Young University. He is the author of “Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership” (Morgan James Publishers). He also works with organizations to develop their leaders and improve their culture (collective mindsets). He has worked with top leadership teams at CVS Health (top 130 leaders), Deutsche Telekom (500+ of their top 2,000 leaders), and a couple dozen other organizations. As a respected authority and researcher on topics related to leadership, management, and organizational behavior, Ryan has published over 17 articles across a variety of journals including: Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Management, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Business Horizons, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, and Journal of Leadership Studies. His research has been cited over 2,000 times since 2014. 

Connect with Ryan

• Website:  https://ryangottfredson.com/
• Free Personal Mindset Assessment:  https://ryangottfredson.com/personal-mindset-assessment
• Success Mindsets book:  https://ryangottfredson.com/books