Modern Leadership Reimagined: How to Use The Wonder Mindset to Crush Change and Design Game

In today's rapidly changing business landscape, leaders need to be agile and innovative to stay ahead of the curve. How can you balance EPIC outcomes with an awesome culture? Too often you read the case studies... business crushed it at the expense of the humans. Humans had a great time but business performance was bit meh. How can we strike the balance and create epic outcomes for the business, the humans and society? The answer is actually more fun than you think: by unleashing Awe and Wonder.

Awe and Wonder have been proven to be a powerful tool for improving both physical and mental well-being, recent research also shows More Awe, More Give: Generosity goes up when Awe Strikes, When Awe is induced experimentally individuals become more ethical, generous towards strangers and report more prosocial values and Awe is even proven to make you drop the ego, cos the small self is hella generous and ethical. Awe brings out the real generosity, not just the fake niceties triggered by nature, ain't no substitute for AWE baby!

Awe is the emotion you feel when you witness something that's larger than life, beyond what you're used to seeing, and makes you question everything you know about the world. And guess what, research has proven that experiencing awe can be crazy good for your physical and mental well-being! It can boost your positive emotions, reduce stress and inflammation, and even pump up your immune system. Not only that, awe can make you more humble and down-to-earth, and make you more likely to help others. It can also crank up your creativity and give you a sense of being a part of something bigger than yourself. So, if you wanna grow and level up in life, make sure you're getting a daily dose of awe!

Awe's effects on prosociality are profound. Prosociality is basically when people are kind and do things that help others out. It's like when you help someone with their homework, or when you donate money to a charity that helps people who are less fortunate than you. It's all about being a good person and doing things that make the world a better place.

Awe is dope and if you think about it awe is epic for not only leaders but also for teams! Think about how often you use the word 'awesome' at work, The word "awesome" comes from the Old English word "egefull" which means "inspiring awe". In Middle English, it evolved to "aughsum" and eventually to "awesome" in Modern English.

Embracing wonder can be a powerful tool for enhancing collaboration, creativity, and outcomes in organisations. When people are encouraged to approach challenges with a sense of curiosity and wonder, they are more likely to take risks and explore new ideas. This can lead to increased innovation, better problem-solving, and more effective collaboration. Additionally, a culture of wonder can help to foster a positive and supportive work environment, which can contribute to improved employee satisfaction and retention. Overall, cultivating a sense of wonder and creativity can have a range of benefits for organisations, including improved performance and outcomes.

But how can you drive change in your organisation while also inspiring awe and wonder in your team? The answer lies in The Wonder Mindset.

Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing more about this approach that I have been developing for the past 15 years, and I am looking forward to finding the right organisation partners to embed this approach at scale. If you think of someone as you read this that you think I should connect with, please give me a nudge!

The Wonder Mindset is a powerful approach that helps leaders diagnose problems, design innovative solutions, deliver those solutions efficiently, and manage change effectively. By combining methodologies such as Design Thinking, Agile, and ADKAR with principles of behavioural science, The Wonder Mindset can help leaders navigate complex challenges and inspire their teams to achieve extraordinary results.

The Wonder Mindset isn't just a process - it's a way of thinking and a mindset that can help leaders transform their organisations and inspire their teams to achieve extraordinary results. By embracing The Wonder Mindset, you can lead with purpose and drive meaningful change in your organisation.

Here are a few reasons why an organisation might need to up their game when it comes to change and design leadership:

• Increased competition: In today's fast-paced business environment, organisations face increased competition from new players entering the market. To stay relevant and competitive, organisations need to be able to adapt quickly to changing market conditions.
• Changing customer needs: Customer needs and expectations are constantly evolving. Organisations that fail to keep up with these changes risk losing customers to competitors who are more in tune with their needs.
• Digital transformation: The rise of digital technologies has fundamentally changed the way organisations operate. To stay ahead of the curve, organisations need to be able to design and implement new digital solutions quickly and effectively.
• Employee retention: In today's job market, employees are looking for more than just a paycheck. They want to work for organisations that are innovative, forward-thinking, and offer opportunities for growth and development. Organisations that fail to invest in change and design leadership risk losing their best talent to competitors.
• Increased complexity: As organisations grow and become more complex, managing change becomes more challenging. Change and design leadership can help organisations navigate this complexity and drive better outcomes.

Introducing new methodologies and approaches can be a great way to improve organisational performance and drive change. However, it's not enough to simply introduce multiple methodologies without investing in mindset at the same time. Let's explore the reasons why investing in mindset is crucial for success when introducing new methodologies.

• Lack of Clarity: When introducing new methodologies without investing in mindset, employees may become confused about why a particular methodology is being used and how it fits into the overall business strategy. This can lead to disengagement and a lack of clarity about how to effectively implement the new approach.
• Resistance to Change: Employees may feel overwhelmed or uncertain about how to implement new methodologies, leading to resistance and low adoption rates. Without a focus on mindset, employees may not have the right mindset or skills to implement the new approach effectively, leading to low engagement and limited results.
• Lack of Alignment: Without investing in mindset, different departments and teams may work at cross-purposes, leading to inefficiencies and wasted resources. When teams don't have a shared mindset and understanding of the desired outcomes, they may struggle to work together effectively and achieve the desired results.
• Limited Effectiveness: Introducing multiple methodologies without investing in mindset can lead to a "shiny object syndrome," where organisations jump from one approach to the next without achieving any real impact or sustainable change. Investing in mindset alongside methodology can help organisations achieve greater clarity, alignment, and effectiveness, while avoiding resistance and missed opportunities.

Looking to drive change and innovation in your organization while inspiring awe and wonder in your team? Discover the power of the Wonder Mindset. Combining Design Thinking, Agile, and ADKAR with behavioural science principles, this approach can help you navigate complex challenges and achieve extraordinary results. Reach out to [email protected] to learn more.