Strategies to Develop a Collaborative Mindset: How to ‘Trick Your Brain’ to Work With Others

Imagine you are a sustainable packaging company trying to combat plastic pollution. You’ve developed innovative, biodegradable materials, but getting them into the mainstream is an uphill battle against the entrenched power of the plastic industry.

Now, instead of going at it alone, what if you partnered with a multinational food and beverage company facing pressure from customers demanding sustainable practices? Or a student startup with fresh ideas? Or an advocacy NGO that's been fighting plastic pollution for years?

By joining forces, you’re not just offering an alternative—you’re creating a new ecosystem that can scale globally. Together, what seemed like barriers became opportunities to redefine packaging standards.

The world’s most pressing issues—climate change, poverty, energy access—are too big and complex for one company or sector to tackle alone. The leaders who drive real change will be the ones who build unconventional partnerships, engage diverse stakeholders, and turn competitors into collaborators.

Yet—as I discussed last week —when crises hit, leaders often retreat into a scarcity mindset, halting cooperation and letting fear dictate decisions. To build an abundance mindset, the collaborative muscle needs to be strengthened. Luckily, there are ways to develop key skills and emotions that can get us there.

At Barefoot Citizens , we have put collaboration at the centre of what we do. We use the collaborative mindset to engage a diverse range of stakeholders and inspire a sustainable global movement in order to help people and the planet.

That’s why we have decided to put the spotlight on collaboration. This week, we’re continuing our series with practical tips on how to ‘trick your brain’ to be ready to work with others.

How Scarcity Mindset Hijacks Our Brains…

The biggest obstacle to collaboration often comes from within. When resources are tight or a crisis hits, even experienced leaders can fall into a scarcity mindset. This mental state narrows our focus to immediate survival, blocking long-term thinking and creativity. In other words, fear takes over , and we become reactionary instead of visionary.

A 2017 study published in Science found that when we perceive scarcity, it triggers a mental shift that drains our cognitive capacity. We zero in on the most urgent problem—whether it’s meeting payroll or stabilising cash flow—leaving little room for strategic thinking.

It’s a biological response: our brains prioritise short-term survival, making it difficult to see opportunities beyond the immediate threat.

“Leaders with an abundance mindset are more likely to take strategic risks and pursue new opportunities (…) they view competition as a catalyst for growth, not as a threat.”

But it’s not just a matter of focus. As Garrett Gunderson explains in Killing Sacred Cows, a scarcity mindset is rooted in the belief that resources are limited and that success is a zero-sum game—if someone else wins, it must come at my expense. This mindset breeds fear, competition, and isolation, locking us into a defensive posture.

Chronic stress deepens this effect. Prolonged exposure to stress reshapes our brains : the hippocampus, which governs memory and creativity, shrinks, while the amygdala—the fear centre—expands.

Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki adds that when fear dominates, it hijacks the same regions of the brain responsible for innovation and collaboration, making it nearly impossible to think creatively or embrace new ideas.

This cycle is reinforced by the attention economy . Constant exposure to alarming headlines and crisis narratives that’s so ubiquitous today keeps us on edge, priming us to react rather than reflect. The result? Leaders retreat, collaboration grinds to a halt, and opportunities to co-create solutions are lost.

…and an Abundance Mindset Can Bring Us Back

Contrast this with the abundance mindset. Rather than viewing resources as finite, an abundance mindset sees them as expandable. It’s a fundamental shift in perspective: instead of focusing on what might be lost, it emphasises what can be gained through cooperation.??

Laura Freebairn-Smith points out in her book Abundance Leaders that this is a worldview that fosters trust, openness, and the willingness to share—core elements of effective partnerships.

?“Running scenario-planning exercises helps leaders anticipate potential crises and identify where collaboration could be a solution.”

Research by Yost et al. from 2019 shows that leaders with an abundance mindset are more likely to take strategic risks and pursue new opportunities because they aren’t driven by fear. They view competition as a catalyst for growth, not as a threat. This mindset opens up space for collaboration because it’s not about protection—it’s about creation.

Cultivating an abundance mindset isn’t about simply thinking positively—it’s about making a deliberate choice every day to see challenges differently. When a crisis hits, don’t fall into the trap of asking, “How do we survive this?” or “How do I defend my position?”

Instead, reframe it: “What new opportunities can this open up?” or “What can we build together?” This shift in perspective is what breaks the scarcity cycle and turns setbacks into springboards for real, meaningful change.

Practical Strategies to Foster Abundance Mindset

Shifting from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset isn’t easy—it goes against our primal instincts. Even when we know it’s holding us back, fear and self-preservation often take over. That’s why leaders need to practice rewiring their thinking to make collaboration and abundance their default responses.?

Here are some practical strategies to help make that shift:?

Both-And Thinking

Leaders often see challenges as "either-or" choices—either we cut costs, or we innovate. But research shows that "both-and" thinking, where leaders seek out ways to balance competing demands, is far more effective. They reorganise paradoxes that are underlying tensions to find a way forward. Research on this tool found that this mindset generates more creative responses to tensions.

For a deeper dive, check out this article in Harvard Business Review or read Both/And Thinking by Wendy Smith and, Marianne Lewis.

Scenario Planning and Value Alignment

Regularly running scenario-planning exercises helps leaders anticipate potential crises and see where collaboration could be a solution. For example, PwC’s scenario planning framework allows organisations to map out different futures and identify how partners can help navigate each scenario.

Pair this with value alignment exercises. Ask, “What values do potential partners share with us?” and “What’s at stake if we succeed or fail together?” This creates a foundation of trust and shared purpose, avoiding purely transactional collaborations.

Financial Discipline and Lean Operations

As the research on poverty and collaboration shows, when we perceive scarcity, it drains our cognitive capacity. Maintaining strong cash reserves and running lean operations can create a buffer, giving leaders room to take calculated risks even during downturns. This financial safety net allows leaders to explore collaborations without the constant fear of financial instability.

Structured Spaces for Cross-Organisational Conversations

Create “collaboration labs” or roundtable discussions to bring stakeholders together. These sessions should focus on exploring synergies, where each party shares their strengths and needs. Framing these as informal, low-pressure settings helps uncover joint opportunities that formal meetings might miss.

Gratitude Exercises

Cultivating an abundance mindset starts with shifting focus from scarcity to opportunity. Regular gratitude exercises —celebrating others’ successes, practicing generosity, and challenging limiting beliefs—can reshape how leaders see the world and encourage a more collaborative approach.

Journaling and Perspective-taking

To overcome barriers in external collaborations, you can try stepping into the shoes of a potential partner or even a competitor. What challenges are they facing? What pressures are they under? These role-reversal exercises help leaders anticipate reactions and build empathy, crucial for successful external collaborations.

To make this practice more structured and deliberate, starting a leadership journal or including these prompts in your journaling practice might help make this a consistent practice.

Leadership Coaching for Resilience

Emotional resilience is vital for maintaining morale and fostering a collaborative culture. According to Forbes , leaders who are trained in emotional resilience and stress management are better equipped to inspire collaboration, even in adversity. Coaching that focuses on these areas can be transformative for both leaders and their teams.

Collaboration is not just the Best Way, it’s the Only Way

Collaboration is more than a survival strategy—it’s a growth strategy. By embracing a mindset of abundance, building strong ecosystems, and focusing on long-term purpose, leaders can turn crises into opportunities for innovation and growth.

As the world becomes more interconnected and the challenges we face become more complex, collaboration is not just the best way forward; it’s the only way forward.

At Barefoot Citizens, we have put collaboration at the centre of what we do. We care about profit, but we also care as much about helping people and the planet. In doing so, we use the collaborative mindset to engage a diverse range of stakeholders and inspire a sustainable global movement.

We are a collective of businesses always ready to cooperate, driving positive change through innovative business approaches, spanning environmental initiatives and community support.

If you are interested in our social enterprises, want to cooperate, or just wish to find out more about how we work, feel free to reach out directly to me or visit barefootcitizens.com to learn more.

? - Simon