Disrupt Your Own Beliefs & Self-Identity: Strategy #3 for 2025

As we move further into an era defined by rapid technological advancements, specifically AI, the ability to adapt and reinvent yourself is no longer a nice to have—it’s a need to have. The future of leadership will require a new kind of mental flexibility and strength, where emotional intelligence and mental stability are central. This emotional and mental intelligence will allow you to challenge your own assumptions, beliefs, biases and set ways of thinking. Why do this? Cultivating these skills will be essential for thriving in an ever-evolving landscape and leading ourselves and others forward into this new era of human development.?The ability to be flexible, innovate, learn, and pivot, is key to you and your team’s success. The leaders of tomorrow will be those who can harness their inner resilience, disrupt their own beliefs and continuously reinvent themselves for what each new moment requires.

Strategy?#3: Disrupt?Your?Own Beliefs and Self-Identity to Prepare to Reinvent Yourself Professionally

This month I offer you Strategy #3 for 2025. (Refer back to Strategy #1 Be Ready and #2 Get Your House in Order if needed.) This month’s strategy is all about embracing change and challenging your own assumptions and belief systems to stay adaptable in this rapidly changing world. Now, I know this can be difficult to do. Many of us are comfortable with our current way of thinking and operating. BUT stay with me here and try on this idea…if you can step back and challenge your assumptions about what you’re capable of and how things can get done, your ability to reframe and shift your beliefs will help you to foster innovation and build the kind of leadership that inspires your team to stay agile. You will be better able to dynamically reinvent yourself, accepting and welcoming new perspectives, skills, and tools—like AI—to stay ahead and lead through transformation rather than fear. In a world that never stops evolving, the leaders who thrive are those who are willing to evolve alongside it or even help shape the evolution.

Coaching Questions to Ask Yourself:

At the foundation of this?strategy?are some powerful coaching questions I regularly explore with my clients. I invite you to grab a pen and some paper or?your?digital notes and make note of your?own answers:

1.???? What beliefs are getting in the way of you realizing?your?goals?

2.???? WHO do you need to BE to move into this new role or stage of?your?life?

3.???? What do you need to let go of or change or move beyond to create space for what is required and who you are becoming?

Yuval Noah Harari’s prediction:

Do you remember the Futurist Yuval Noah Harari’s prediction in 2018? He predicted that by 2025 the convergence of AI and biotechnology would create circumstances in which corporations and governments would have the ability to understand us better than we understand ourselves, predict our choices and manipulate our desires. For example, what we buy and who we vote for. He discussed the notion of “bio-enhanced” humans and hacking human beings. Take a moment to soak that in. Harari's 2018 prediction about the profound impact of AI and technology on society is rapidly coming true, as we witness the following:

1.???? Job displacement.

2.???? Widening inequalities.

3.???? The growing divide between those who can adapt to the future and those left behind.

4.???? The ability to “hack” human beings and predict their desires.

You can watch his full prediction by clicking HERE.

How to Disrupt Your Own Beliefs

Whether you have a formal hierarchical title of leadership or are an influential leader in your network, I encourage you to actively engage in the steps below to disrupt your own beliefs and challenge your way of thinking. Engaging in these steps will help you to cultivate adaptability to succeed in this every-turbulent work world. The key is to continuously engage in building your self-awareness, self-reflection, and openness so you can be willing to address discomfort and pivot when necessary. These practical steps will help you foster adaptability and flexibility so you can meet the moment with what is required.

1.???? Cultivate a growth mindset – Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth. Ask yourself: What can I learn from this experience?

2.???? Regularly Reevaluate Assumptions - Constantly question the validity of your assumptions and beliefs. Ask yourself: Is that really true? What else might be true?

3.???? Stay Curious and Committed to Learning – Embrace lifelong learning and betterment. This will help you be more adaptable. Notice where your positive energy and curious attention are taking you: What can you learn by intentionally carving out time to seek out others’ perspectives or learning a new skill or knowledge area?

4.???? Practice Vulnerability and Openness - Share your uncertainties and invite collaboration. Be open to others’ ideas and feedback. Start by saying something like “I’m noticing that I’m not feel right with this, but I’m not sure why. Can we talk through this a bit more?”

5.???? Challenge the Status Quo Regularly - Regularly evaluate current practices and question what is working and what isn’t. What is valued and positive in impact that makes sense to continue doing? What is feeling a bit stale that may need to be refreshed or redesigned? Where is there a gap or need that is inviting in a new approach?

6.???? Set Aside Time for Self-Reflection – Dedicate regular time for personal reflection on your leadership assumptions, beliefs and actions. It can be helpful to identify a peer coach or accountability partner and have them check-in with you about what you’re learning through this reflection.

7.???? Lead by Example - Demonstrate adaptability and flexibility in your own actions to encourage and inspire your team. Give others a preview of what you’re experimenting with and why, then give them updates on what you’re learning and ask for their observations as well.

We can all see that the technological landscape is shifting rapidly. If you’re aware that you’re struggling a bit with fear of what’s changing or resistance to let go of your (dare I say) outdated way of thinking, it may be time to wake up and take some baby steps in this direction. It’s normal to resist change, but the reality is you risk being left in the dust. I speak from my heart when I say that I know this may sounds harsh, but it is the absolute truth. As a leader in today’s rapidly evolving world, it is crucial that you question your beliefs (even if that means re-affirming them), embrace new perspectives and stay open to reinvention. Evolving with the changes rather than resisting them will help you stay ahead of the curve.

In partnership as you rise,

Erin

Erin Owen, MBA, MCC (she/her/hers)

Executive and Leadership Coach

Website: https://erinowen.com

LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/erinowen/