Here's how you can develop a growth mindset for increased adaptability in the workplace.

We all know failure isn’t the end of the world, but it is not easy to embrace. Without clear thinking, fear of failure and failure itself can undermine our leadership styles, performance, judgment and even our happiness 1) Consider your failures beginnings rather than endings 2) Use fear to focus but don’t let it become your focus

As the President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture ( NACCIMA), I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of promoting a mindset that embraces failure as a rich source of learning within the business community. Our chamber plays a crucial role in creating an environment where businesses can thrive by learning from setbacks and leveraging those experiences to make informed decisions for the future. We understand that failure is an opportunity for growth and improvement. By organizing workshops, seminars, and networking events focused on learning from failure, the Chamber facilitates a culture of open communication and collaboration among businesses of all sizes and industries.

Failure is one step closer to success. In fact, it is a one of the mile stones of success. Embracing failure is about recognizing that setbacks are a part of the learning and growth process. Instead of fearing failure or viewing it as a negative outcome or giving up, it should be seen as an opportunity to learn, improve, and innovate. Failure provides valuable lessons to polish skills, invent best possible way forward that can lead to greater understanding and success to accomplish best & better results in the future. By adopting a mindset that accepts and learns from failure, individuals and organizations can foster resilience, creativity, and continuous improvement.

"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." – Henry Ford The quicker you fail, the less time you lose, and the better prepared you are for future success. This mindset prevents fear from paralyzing you and instead propels you forward with valuable insights.

The key is to build, forster, maintain, and update an innovation culture. There is an increasing need of a proper Innovation Management System, where all different parts of the process coexist and support each other. It is not just the individual mindset that needs fostering, it alrequires a key environment, management, resources, vision, etc. In conclusion, there needs to be an Innovation Management System that allows for sustainable innovation.

At NACCIMA, we advocate for businesses to embrace challenges and push past their comfort zones without compromising on ethics. This mindset creates an environment that nurtures growth, innovation, and resilience within our organizations. We promote continuous learning and development, providing resources and networking opportunities to support businesses in their quest for success. By encouraging a culture of proactive growth and pushing boundaries, we empower businesses to thrive in a competitive environment, drive innovation, and adapt to change effectively. Our goal is to build a strong, resilient business community in Nigeria that retains talent, attracts foreign investment, towards enhancing economic growth and prosperity.

Actively seeking challenges is essential for developing a growth mindset and increasing adaptability. Push yourself out of your comfort zone regularly by taking on new responsibilities or tackling complex problems. Encourage your team to do the same, creating an environment that values innovation and risk-taking. Embrace difficult tasks as opportunities to learn and grow, rather than threats to avoid. By consistently challenging yourself and your team, you'll develop new skills, increase problem-solving abilities, and become more adaptable to change. Remember, growth occurs at the edge of your comfort zone, so don't shy away from challenges – embrace them as catalysts for personal and professional development.

In my experience, it takes just inspiration, faith and motivation to seek new challenges. Magic happens when we have full self control and self confidence and just want something desperately??

“Challenges and obstacles are a natural part of personal and professional development”, but this can be easily navigated by embracing the challenge; rather than avoiding or fearing challenges. Leader need to embrace it as opportunities for growth and learning. Adopt a growth mindset of curiosity and openness to new experiences

Curiosity, we all know, is the spark that can lead to breakthrough innovation. And it turns out that it helps produce more than new ideas. Recent research by Francesca Gino at Harvard Business School points to several surprisingly practical benefits for business: Curiosity improves decision making because it reduces our susceptibility to stereotypes and to confirmation bias; it fuels employee engagement and collaboration; and it fortifies organizational resilience by prompting creative problem solving in the face of uncertainty and pressure. In short, curiosity boosts business performance.

Cultivating curiosity is key to fostering innovation and continuous learning. Encourage questioning and exploration in yourself and your team. Stay open to new ideas and perspectives, even if they challenge existing beliefs. Promote a culture of lifelong learning by providing opportunities for skill development and knowledge acquisition. Engage in diverse experiences and seek out information from various sources to broaden your understanding. Ask "why" and "how" questions to dig deeper into topics. By nurturing curiosity, you'll stimulate creativity, enhance problem-solving skills, and maintain a fresh, adaptable mindset. Remember, curious minds are more likely to discover innovative solutions and adapt to changing circumstances.

It is all about positioning thoughts in a way that generates curiosity and excitement . Best example is football match where players cultivate curiosity and excitement to challenge, defend and win matches. In corporate world, we often use coffee and small kitchen chitchat to cultivate curiosity based organisation growth strategies. We are most often ready with ideas but we lack skills to implement that curiosity enough ??

”Curiosity is the real mother of invention”. Curious team members are natural problem solvers. They ask questions, explore new perspectives, and seek creative solutions. Leader to equip team with the skills to embrace change and innovation in the organization. One needs to include modules on soft skills like problem-solving, resilience in the face of setbacks, and the power of a positive attitude to develop a growth mindset in the workplace.

I cannot agree more with this point. I would actually say that flexibility and resiliency are THE most important skills to cultivate. Here is why: careers are becoming longer as we humans tend to stay healthier and live longer. Careers before used to last 30 years. Now we are looking at careers that could last 50 years. In half a century technologies and strategies will change significantly. Staying adaptable, Flexible, resilient, humble, is what mostly separates successful executives from the ones who stagnate. Of course: learning from mistakes, history and the past is vital, and at the same time adapting to the technology, economy and societal trends is what separates executives that will continue to be successful

As the President of NACCIMA, I understand the diversity in my membership, i am flexible in the effective discharge of my duties. Embracing change and adapting strategies swiftly, I prioritize local initiatives and contributions to meet the evolving needs of our members towards navigating the challenges in the business landscape. By adopting a culture of agility and openness to new ideas, I lead NACCIMA towards continued success and relevance in a dynamic environment.

I agree, but best ways to cultivate flexibility is to plan it ahead of time. In other words, we should develop an intuitive process that is flexible enough to allow changes at any given point of time. Also, we should think already of what failures can happen and what ways we can adapt beforehand??

What goes around comes around. We are all here in this Mother Earth for a limited period of time and this could be the best motivation to encourage others to enjoy the drama of life and just do their tasks honestly with compassion, faith and determination ??

A growth mindset is not only valuable individually but also essential for team culture. Encourage your team to embrace this mindset by fostering an environment that values learning and development. Recognize and reward effort, resilience, and the desire to learn. This will create a culture where adaptability and continuous improvement thrive, turning challenges into opportunities. By promoting a growth mindset, you empower your team to persist through difficulties, embrace change, and aim for excellence, driving collective success and innovation.

Regular reflection is essential for managing NACCIMA effectively. It allows me to learn from past experiences, make informed decisions, and ensure alignment with our goals. I also encourage Member Chambers through their representatives at our meetings to grow a culture of reflection, in the discharge of their duties. This culture has been used to minimise the repeat of previous mistakes

Related to "reflect regularly" is consistent goal setting to make progress on the small stuff, but more importantly setting an overarching goal or vision statement. This higher-level goal, as your guiding light or North Star, keeps you on track regardless of the exact path. In essence, embracing adaptability and flexibility into your growth path since your outcome remains crystal clear.