How to have the right mindset?

Mindset - is today's topic.

"You don't hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills."

RIP Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, who taught a generation of leaders a great lesson.

I would like to slightly modify the statement to “"You don't hire for skills, you hire for the mindset. You can always teach skills."

Mindset is probably the single most important foundational element that holds everything together. I talk more about it on this YT video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfkSvXoFkGM&

This skill alone can make it or break it.

There are many great references about mindset. Carol Dweck has a great book called mindset, the new psychology of success. The other great reference is a book by Elizabeth on “telemore effect” and great resource is “self discipline in 10 days”

Hi my name is Emre Tekoglu. I have been working in software sector for 15 years of which 7 years have been in leadership position.

One of great speeches I saw was Michael Jordan during this hall of fame induction. Everyone knows MJ is one the best athletes. But he himself might disagree with that statement. But he will tell you that he had the right mindset. It is well known that MJ was cut from the high school team. He wasn’t drafted at 1 or 2 spots by NBA teams. Michael Jordan had the right mindset about work ethics and improving himself. I am using Michael Jordan as an example to show you even him, the man himself, had faced failures. Or is that what we should call it?Jordan was devastated, I am sure, a person who has the highest competitiveness level but he turned that into fuel to become better. A famous story is once his team lost the game, he went and practiced his shots for hours. Do you have that mindset? Do you have the mindset that you can win?

Let me answer that for you: YES YOU DO.

Even if you are feeling down at this moment. You do have it in you.

Let me give you a number. The chances of you being born are 1 in 400 Trillion. So please act like the miracle you are.

Go to a nursing home and talk to folks there and look at their eyes. What will you see? I let you do that and answer that question for yourself.

Be you. Do what you like. Everybody starts at 0. Keep that in mind. Be positive. Don’t waste your time with negativity. 

What is your goal? Don’t wait for life changing event to remind you what you want to do? Stop here and ask what you want to do? Don’t play the victim card.

Here is what I mean. This is important so pay attention.

The story of the victim is always justifying. It's reality that bad things happen to us all the time. I am not denying that true fact. They happen to us as individuals. Maybe you got sick and missed an important day at school. They happen to us as teams. Maybe your team lost the championship game. They happen to us as families. Maybe you parents divorced. They happen to us as communities. Maybe there was a natural disaster that impacted your neighborhood. And whenever something bad happens, the first reaction is to look for who to blame or what to blame, and to feel that it's not our fault, that we're okay.

We don't see how we were a part of creating the situation though or how we participated in the problem. Nobody wants to admit that ourselves are as part of the problem, we cannot see ourselves as part of the solution. I understand that is hard. It is much easier to say I didn't break it, I don't have to fix it. Well, that's a wrong mindset to have. That's a poor way to think because, even though you didn't break it, you may be suffering from it. So anything that causes suffering, it's your problem in the sense that you can take responsibility to do something about it.

The victim mindset exactly avoids responsibility. But what the victim doesn't see is that he or she are also avoiding response-ability. They are giving away their ability to respond to the situation. It's not a matter of blaming the victim. You're not responsible for what happens to you. Sometimes you are, but most of the time you are not. But you are able to respond to what happens to you, correct?

That's the mindset shift away from the victim that I need all of you to have. So take a look around you. Take a listen around you, and notice how prevalent the story of the victim is. With this distinction, you can go to your next meeting and every time that some goes wrong, listen to how people explain things. Pay attention to their choice of words.Turn on the news and listen for the explanation of bad things. Did you know there is an app that tunes out bad news. Look at the newspaper. Listen to politicians(maybe you can skip this one, you know this one already) .Look at the TV. It is everywhere.

I want you to understand this concept when it comes to learning. Remember, you are the miracle. You can learn if you have the right mindset.

Let’s do following simple 6 steps every day to improve our mindset:

1. Just breathe. Studies show that just a few minutes a day of quiet can open our brains and make it available for our most innovative ideas. Sit or stand in a quiet spot, feet on the floor, and hands by your side or on your knees. Now just quiet your mind—picture a place that is your idea of peace, such as a beach or a mountain. Wim Hof has a great exercise on this part. Five to 10 minutes of quiet, deep breathing during the day can also help us get back on track Check out his youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzCaZQqAs9I
2. Check your thoughts: Have you ever gotten up in the morning when the weather is lousy, you left your work at home, traffic is bad and said, This is going to be a bad day? I have. More times than not, it guaranteed a day that finished the same way. Our thoughts are powerful. They create feelings, which leads to actions and behaviors that determine whether our day goes well. Taking five minutes to make sure our thoughts are positive starts the day off with the right mindset.
3. Write your grateful list: According to research by UC Davis psychologist Robert Emmons, keeping a gratitude journal contributes to a positive life attitude, and makes us feel better, sleep better and even have stronger immune systems. Try for a different list each day, and at the end of the week you will be surprised how this helps your mindset.
4. Before you leave in the morning, set an intention of how you want the day to end. How do you want the actions you accomplish today to make you feel at the end of the day? Make a list of to do and make a list of awards after you accomplish the tasks.
5. Positive Self Talk: Yes, I said. Pep talk. Tell your mind what you want. It truly listens to you. Pump up yourself. So stop telling negative thoughts and replace them with positive thoughts. This will be easier to do if you find positive friends, mentors and co-workers.
6. Focus on present. Do you know why it is called “present”: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”. Learn from your yesterday’s mistakes and be prepared for the future but most importantly be present. Learn from your failures and convert them to lessons. Today is your gift.

Those are all actionable items you can start today. I want you to have the right mindset. It is what holds everything together in our minds. Get this right, and you will be very successful.

Those with the right mindset will find success in doing their best.

Do you have the right mindset now to start learning and be the person you can be?

I would like to be part of your journey if you allow me.

I prepared great material for you to mentor you on your journey.

subscribe to my youtube channel for more free content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEZmMT1nnRUret7Xqz7qHzQ?

Have an open mind and start today.