140 Top CEOs Reveal The 4 Most Crucial Mindsets For Leaders

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Leadership is changing whether you like it not.

How do I know?

I talked to over 140 of the world's top CEOs from companies like Audi, KPMG, Best Buy, Oracle, Unilever, MasterCard, SAP, and dozens of others. I also surveyed nearly 14,000 employees around the world in partnership with LinkedIn. All of this was done for my new book, The Future Leader.

Leadership isn't just about what you know how to do, it's also about how you think...your mindset.

What mindsets do you as a leader need to possess? There are 4 of them that over 140 CEOs identified as being most crucial for current and future leaders.

Global Citizen

Leaders who embody the global citizen mindset think globally and embrace diversity. In today’s connected and rapidly changing world it’s almost impossible to think locally, regionally, or even nationally. Instead you must think globally. Not only do leaders need to consider how to enter new markets but they must also understand how to spread ideas and messages and how to find the best talent regardless of where in the world they might be. As a new or existing leader you will also have to work with, communicate, collaborate, and lead individuals who don’t think like you, look like you, act like you, or believe in the same things that you believe in.

"You have to be open to other people and ideas and to respect the diversity of cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, thoughts, and orientations. This is essential for the future leader."

-Ilham Khadri, CEO, Solvay (25,000 employees)

Servant

Being a leader doesn’t mean that you get to sit at the top of the pyramid and tell everyone else what to do. It means that you stand at the bottom of the pyramid and help prop everyone else up. This is in stark contrast to what the business world is used to. This manifests in several ways: serving your leaders if you have them, serving your customers, serving your team, and serving yourself (practicing self care). Practicing the servant mindset also means that you have humility and vulnerability, you don’t take yourself too seriously, and always assume the best in your employees. 

"All new employees regardless of their position are seen, heard, respected, and listened to by the leader and they know that I’m there to serve them, not the other way around.”

-Carrie Birkhofer, CEO of Bay Federal Credit Union (220 employees)

Chef

Chefs are masters at balancing ingredients, just like leaders must balance the two most important ingredients of any business: humans and technology. The human side of work is where things like ideas, relationships, loyal customers, leaders, and social impact comes from. The technology side of work includes the tools, software, hardware, apps, devices, and AI and automation we use to actually get our jobs done. This is where things like efficiency, productivity, and speed take place. Future leaders must embrace technology; being hesitant about it will get you nowhere. The chef mindset also centers on being purpose-driven and caring. Your job as a leader isn’t just about making the business more money, it’s about making an impact on the world. 

"The world still goes around because of relationships between people. I think current and future leaders need to be able to work both with people and technology, which will require more collaboration and teamwork."

-Nancy Brown, CEO, The American Heart Association (over 3,000 employees)

Explorer

Explorers are seekers who traverse the unknown and embrace and practice curiosity. This is the mindset that will force the pursuit of new ideas, products, services, and methods of doing things. Explorer leaders are super perpetual learners. Curious explorers gain great pleasure from seeking out new knowledge and information. They are open to new ideas from the people around them and encourage time for experimentation. Explorers embody the growth mindset and realize that where they are now isn’t where they will always be. They look at challenges as opportunities to grow instead of roadblocks to success. Future leaders must challenge the status quo and thrive in a changing world by being agile and adaptable. 

"Curiosity is like the fountain of youth when it comes to effective leadership."

-Bradley Jacobs, CEO, XPO Logistics (over 100,000 employees)

These four mindsets are the foundation for current and future leaders. This is how leaders need to think each and every single day.

Leadership is changing. What are the skills and mindsets you need to master in order to lead in the new world of work? According to over 140 of the world's top CEOs there are 4 mindsets and 5 skills that leaders need to master. Learn what they are and hear directly from these leaders by downloading the PDF below.

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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:

1. Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week. 

2. Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.

3. If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.