Leadership Mindsets vs. Principles and Habits: An Exploration For Leadership Development

In the dynamic landscape of leadership development, there exist three pillars that form the bedrock of growth and transformation: Leadership Mindsets, Principles, and Habits. All three complement Leadership Capability Development. Each of these elements plays a crucial role in shaping the mindset, actions, and outcomes of leaders. In this blog, we will delve into each of these pillars, exploring their significance and practical applications in the realm of leadership.

Leadership Mindsets

What this is:

So, what are leadership mindsets, and why do they matter in leadership development? Mindsets are fundamental attitudes, thought patterns or ways of thinking that shape how leaders perceive, approach, and respond to challenges. They lay the groundwork for decision-making and behaviour and have a significant impact on the culture of a team or organization. While capabilities focus on what leaders can do, mindsets are all about how leaders think.

Where you’ll see me applying Leadership Mindsets to Leadership Development in 2024

Executive Development: In 2024, when working Executive Leadership Development teams (post Training Needs Analysis), I'll encourage co-creation of their Leadership Mindsets. Input might be drawn from their own observations on how they, as execs, perform in key and critical moments and/or outside world Mindset examples that the group may find inspiring.

Outcomes: I aim to create a playbook of leadership mindsets. This will activate peak performance under real-time pressure—precisely when it matters most.

Benefits: By adopting these actions, leaders can break free from rigid behavioral scripts. One of my favourite examples from the HBR article I’ve referenced, discusses the mindset of being “Calm and Receptive to the Truth,” where one of the descriptors is “Understand before you act. Approach an issue with heightened curiosity and fully explore it before making your move.” This is seems so simple, even obvious. But, imagine the difference it would make if this was a Leader’s consistent mindset!

The Result: Leadership will appear effortless because it stems from daily thinking routines that are intentional and strategic. The created mindsets can also serve as an inventory for group reflection through team and one-on-one coaching.

Resources I found valuable on this topic:

• Hitendra Wadhwa’s "Leading in the Flow of Work" in the January–February 2024 issue of Harvard Business Review is a great read.
• Other resources: Check out the white papers from Korn Ferry and Ben Delta for further insights.

Principles

What these are:

Now, what are Principles, and why do they matter in leadership development? If Leadership mindsets are what you think, Principles are what you do. These are based on your goals and values. Principles are often seen as universal or foundational rules that are meant to guide moral, ethical, or logical reasoning.

Where you’ll see me applying Principles to Leadership Development in 2024:

Strategy: I recently updated our HR strategy. This included overarching principles (e.g., 'We take an employee-centric approach' with subpoints; and 'We are agile and flexible' with other points). For each of the pillars (e.g., Leadership Development), they had their own set of principles. Leaders have strategies for their business units and teams, and, of course, for themselves individually. Defining principles (also known as team charters) helps keep teams aligned on executing the strategy and upholding their commitments. Additionally, having a personal set of principles enhances individual clarity and direction, making it easier for leaders to navigate challenges and make decisions consistent with their values.

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Outcomes: Whether it's a team charter or a strategy representing both operational outcomes and guiding principles, these establish a clear direction for achieving goals and strategies.

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Benefits: By adopting principles, leaders gain clarity and collaboration (if they are team principles) and make decisions consistent with what they want to be known for. For example, during our Amicus Design and Delivery Leaders offsite, one of my favorite principles the group nominated was to establish what "finished" looks like. This involves 'collaboratively agreeing on criteria for completion, deliverable quality standards, and client expectations.' Such alignment mitigates the risk of misunderstandings.

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The result: Leaders can now use these principles as a barometer to gauge whether their actions align with their strategy. This reflection enables them to be consistent and adjust their approaches when necessary.

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Resources I found valuable on this topic:

• Ray Dalio’s Principles: Life and Work (Simon & Schuster, 2017)
• Team Management System’s Ways of Working Values example Team Charter is terrific.

Habits

What these are:

Habits are powerful because they operate on autopilot, freeing up mental energy and streamlining decision-making processes. Whether aimed at boosting productivity, fostering healthier routines, or honing leadership skills, habits accelerate our journey toward success.

Where you’ll see me applying Habit to Leadership Development in 2024:

Executive Development: In Executive Development, while Mindsets, Principles, and Habits all intersect with Leadership Capability Development, I find Habits particularly aligned with topics such as Productivity and Time Management. Topics that are a good fit for auto-pilot. This is because the habits formula is "When X occurs, I will do Y" or "At X time, I will do Y."

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Examples:

Processes & Systems Habit:

• Habit: When I conclude a meeting, I will immediately input follow-up actions into our tracking system
• How it Helps: This habit enhances team communication and fosters accountability skills.

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People Habit:

• Habit: When I engage in a conversation, I will practice active listening by summarizing key points after each discussion.
• How it Helps: This habit enhances communication skills, fosters understanding, and promotes effective collaboration.

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Benefits: In a fast-paced setting like work, established habits streamline tasks, reduce cognitive fatigue, and amplify overall effectiveness.

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The result: Investing in habit-building yields substantial returns—organizations prioritizing habit-building witness a 71% improvement in job manageability (Source: Gartner).

Resources I found valuable on this topic:

• Fogg, B. J. (2019). Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Avery.
• Olson, J. (2013). The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness. Greenleaf Book Group Press.

Conclusion

By cultivating the right mindsets, embracing guiding principles, and adopting effective habits, leaders can navigate challenges with clarity, resilience, and purpose. As we look ahead to the future of leadership development, I'd love to continue the conversation about how some or all of these elements are being utilized and the successes they bring.

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