The last GAIL is the “L” for limiting beliefs. These are beliefs that we hold to be true, live by, work by, swear by – every day. Limiting beliefs hold us in place.
Many of my clients feel trapped in a dissatisfying role, and isolated within their teams, without understanding that limiting beliefs hold them in place.
Design thinking is a tool to unleash your authority and create a satisfying culture within your organization to foster connection as well as shared goals of success.
Many owners complain of a lack of engagement and productivity. Few accept responsibility for leading and modeling with a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset.
Limiting beliefs are the blinders on potential and creativity. A culture that encourages a growth mindset is one in which failure is seen as growth, disruption as opportunity for profit, and people are in place to develop strengths and benefit from community.
This last discussion of GAIL’s leads us to key Takeaways:
- Lead with a growth mindset. Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset is a great place to start.
- Create teams that support self-awareness. Set your brain up to succeed with David Rock’s book, Your Brain At Work.
- Finally, readiness and resilience are values you can learn and can teach. Angela Duckworth’s book, Grit, is
a full of research on the benefits of resilience, along with a willingness to work hard to process change.
As an owner, executive, management team member, employee, administrator, and member of the board, you count. What your Gremlin, or Inner Critic, murmurs in your head matters. The assumptions you make matters. The interpretations that inform your actions, they matter, too. And finally, limiting beliefs matter.
Each of these GAIL’s come with an energy that is negative and counterproductive. The pervasiveness of the energy of a fixed mindset affects every person in the community, every decision made, every problem not solved.
Coaches can support your organization in creating a culture with a growth mindset, expanded awareness, and the resilience and readiness to face every disruption in your industry.
