Change Your Mindset, Improve YOUR Leadership-ness - Is Leadership Failing Us?

By Dr. Kirimi Wanjagi

This article presents a critical perspective on leadership. It's important to acknowledge from the outset that there are many dedicated and effective leaders working to make a positive impact on the world.

Is Leadership Failing Us?

We live and operate in a VUCA environment (introduced as a concept in 1987 by the U.S. Army War College). The world faces unprecedented challenges: climate change, economic inequality, and political polarization, amongst other challenges. In addition, the modern business landscape is fraught with challenges: rapid technological advancements, shifting consumer demands, and increasing social and environmental pressures.

While the world may be endeavoring to navigate these complexities, concerns are mounting that traditional leadership models are failing to adequately address these challenges. Many feel that leadership, at all levels, is falling short.

Is this a perception, or a reflection of a deeper truth?        

This article aims to stimulate discussion and critical thinking about the role of Mindset and leadership in today's complex world. It is based on my soon to be published book: The Mindset of a Leader and research paper: The Influence of Mindset in Leadership: Critical Perspective

While many people point to signs of leadership failure that include, lack of a compelling vision for the future, inaction on critical issues like climate change, resisting of change by clinging to outdated business models, prioritization of profits over people’s well-being and many many other signs, I am convinced that the real issue lies in the Mindset of the Leader.

Leadership and Mindset

We know that leadership plays a foundational role in shaping organizational culture and directing teams toward achieving strategic objectives. Leadership also plays a pivotal role in shaping how we effectively tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. As the global workforce evolves, the qualities that define effective leadership are being re-evaluated. Among these qualities, mindset has emerged as a critical factor in determining a leader's effectiveness and approach to challenges.

Leadership begins in the mind. It is not merely about holding a title or position; it is about adopting a way of thinking that inspires action, fosters growth, and drives positive change. A leader’s mindset encompasses the attitudes, beliefs, and mental frameworks that shape how they perceive and address challenges, interact with others, pursue their vision, and inspire others to do the same.

?Mindset: The Invisible Force Shaping Your Reality

We all see life through our own unique lens. This is your mindset – the assumptions and expectations you hold about yourself, your life and the situations around you. Research consistently demonstrates that a leader's mindset is not merely a personal trait, but a fundamental driver of their effectiveness. By understanding, adapting and shifting your mindset, leaders can profoundly influence their decision-making, interactions with others, and overall leadership style.

Perhaps a shift in our collective leadership mindset holds the key to unlocking solutions to the world's most pressing challenges.

At its core, the mindset of a leader is characterized by a commitment to continuous improvement—both for themselves and for the people they lead. It is a perspective rooted in resilience, empathy, and strategic thinking, enabling leaders to navigate complexity and uncertainty with confidence.

Unlike fixed or narrow viewpoints, a leadership mindset remains open to new ideas and adaptable to evolving circumstances. Leaders view failures as opportunities to learn and approach obstacles as stepping stones to success. This mindset equips them to inspire and motivate others, creating an environment of trust, collaboration, and shared purpose.

In today’s rapidly changing world, the mindset of a leader is more critical than ever. Whether leading a team, an organization, or a community, those who embrace a leadership mindset are poised to make a meaningful impact, leaving a legacy of growth, innovation, and transformation.

These unprecedented challenges demand a new breed of leader – one equipped with a mindset that transcends traditional models.

Case Study Example – Elon Musk

Many of us know Elon Musk – He currently runs six multi-billion-dollar companies simultaneously (SpaceX, Tesla, X, xAI, Neuralink, and Boring Company). Walter Isaacson (who spent a year shadowing Elon and wrote his biography) explains ‘How Elon does it’ (I will share 4 – you can find the rest in my book..)

1. Elon runs his companies with a strict no BS policy. No BS meetings, teams, processes, rules, or projects. Removes all excess so teams can focus on the only thing that matters - building a great product.
2. Elon hates large teams. Small team = Small meetings = More work done. He believes small teams have the intensity and focus which big teams lack.
3. Chase speed. Elon frequently kicks off intense efforts he calls stunts, where he sets an impossible deadline and forces the team to achieve it My favorite snippet from Walter's biography on Elon where he tells how Elon completed work worth 6 months in 6 days. But why does he do that? Because he understands Parkinson's Law better than anyone in the world. Parkinson's law states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. The tighter the deadline, the more work gets done in a shorter time
4. Accountability. Elon would write names of the engineers on the car/rocket components they were responsible for designing. This gave them a sense of pride, responsibility and ownership that’s very difficult to achieve any other way.

In summary - Elon Musk's mindset is often described as a combination of visionary thinking, relentless determination, and a willingness to take calculated risks. His approach to leadership, problem-solving, and innovation has been key to his success in revolutionizing multiple industries, from electric vehicles and space exploration to renewable energy and AI.

Leadership Development

Not many leaders can demonstrate this kind of visionary thinking, relentless determination, first principle thinking, and obsession with innovation.

It is my opinion after 25 years of leadership experience that experiential leadership development (ELD) plays a critical, perhaps central role in fostering the mindset shift that is needed to empower leaders to thrive in the 21st century.

Research studies agree - Independent studies by the Conference Board, Bersin by Deloitte, HR analytics experts McBassi & Company, consistently reach the same conclusion:?Effective Leadership development is one of the most pressing issues today.

BUT the statistics are troubling - Yet, the BrandonHall Group, a human capital research and analyst firm that?surveyed 329 organizations in 2013, found that 75% of the organizations rated their leadership development programs as not very effective.

Why aren’t companies getting more bang for their leadership development buck??

Research suggests it’s likely because most leadership development efforts overlook a specific attribute that is foundational to how leaders think, learn, and behave: their mindsets (Harvard Business Review, 2020)

Fixed and Growth Mindsets

The influence of mindset in leadership has garnered increasing attention, highlighting the critical role that both growth and fixed mindsets play in shaping leadership effectiveness.

?Leaders with a growth mindset—who believe that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—tend to foster a culture of innovation and resilience within their teams. Conversely, leaders with a fixed mindset often discourage innovation and limit their team's potential, inadvertently stifling creativity and progress.

The dichotomy between a fixed and a growth mindset can significantly influence our ability to address the world’s unprecedented challenges, including those faced by businesses. However, despite the increasing recognition of mindset's importance, there remains a notable lack of empirical studies connecting mindset theories directly to practical outcomes in leadership contexts.

In the next article I will delve in-depth into Growth and Fixed mindsets. Stay tuned…

Also - let me know your thoughts

1. Has Is leadership failing us?
2. Is mindset the key to the future of leadership?

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