The Winner’s Trap - How Personal Development and Mentorship Can Impact Your Career

The Winner’s Trap - How Personal Development and Mentorship Can Impact Your Career

By Markus Bohi

The winner’s trap — it’s debilitating. Far too many leaders and high performers fall into this trap, and it’s something that you need to be aware of if you want to avoid it. Once we get to a certain point in our lives, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking we know everything. It’s easy to take your foot off the gas pedal once you reach certain goals and have little left to discover in what you initially set out to do. To build on that dulled mindset that naturally occurs for many, it also is reinforced. You see, when we reach that point, we are often surrounded by people who constantly agree with us and reinforce our beliefs. Very few challenge our ideas and processes. Your mindset trips you into the trap, and the social reinforcement seals the trap door.

This very trap is what keeps the good from being great. It’s what casts a shadow on the desire to explore, create, innovate, and compete with yesterday’s self. For anyone to grow in any aspect of life, they need a new perspective that challenges the existing perspective. For that new perspective to have any impact, it requires an open mind and a willingness to learn from those around us. The greatest leaders are the leader who consistently seeks out a new perspective and heightened awareness.

As a matter of fact, our level of success or experience has nothing to do with the limits we place on ourselves. No matter how far we have risen, there will always be room for improvement and new ideas. There will always be room to grow more empathetic, more in tune with others, and more aligned with our true purpose and potential. If you think about it, personal growth comes either through adversity or through intention. When we go through a challenge, we innately learn from it and become better equipped. But those who intentionally seek personal growth in their day to day are the ones who show up to the challenge having cultivated a mindset that will help them rise above whatever lies before them. Beyond that, those who intentionally seek personal growth are the ones who will leave the greatest impact in this world.

Continuously seeking out new ideas and keeping an open mind is crucial if you want to win the race. This doesn't mean discarding our own values and beliefs; rather, it means being open to alternative perspectives and experiences. From reading books, attending seminars, and hiring a coach, there are various avenues that you can pursue when it comes to personal growth. One of the most important of the bunch, however, is mentorship. In fact, successful leaders often credit mentors as playing a key role in their development. The right mentor offers valuable insight and guidance that will point you in the right direction as a leader and as a business.

You’re probably thinking - I know. And you probably do. But how many mentors do you have, if any? You may think you only need one good mentor, but the truth is that to truly reach your highest potential as a human being, you need multiple mentors. I’m talking about three or more, ot just one. The reason for that is that there is no one person who can guide you to maximize every aspect of your life.

Each person has their own superpower, and when you find a mentor, you should bring them into your life for that specific superpower. For example, Steve Jobs mentored Mark Zuckerberg on how he could manage and develop Facebook and the ins and outs of entrepreneurship.[1] Steve was mentoring Mark in one thing – starting and running a technology company. He wasn’t talking to Mark about how to be a good dad or a good husband. He wasn’t guiding Mark in how to manage his finances. He wasn’t teaching Mark how to keep up with his health and wellness.

Find the right mentor for the right segment of your life. Do you need help in your marriage? Then find a couple who you aspire to be like, who has cultivated a loving and supportive relationship. Do you need help with your finances? Then hire a financial advisor who can guide you. Like is not meant to be done alone, and that’s especially true in business.

Driving a business to success is not a one-man show. Today's business climate is so competitive that to thrive, both you and your team must continuously strive for personal and professional growth. This strengthens the entire team and organization, helps you stay current with industry trends, and sharpens everyone’s skill sets. With that inherently comes increased productivity and natural differentiation between you and your competitors. It’s one thing if you do the work to reach your highest self, but if your team does to work, then you all are unstoppable. Investing in the development of our teammates helps to foster a positive work culture and sets the foundation for future success. It’s a recipe for fulfillment, and it’s one of the keys to winning.

Now, all the courses, books, and coaching in the world won’t get you far if you lack the most important factor we keep coming back to across all ten tactics we’re discussing in this book. It all goes back to one thing: belief. If you don’t believe in yourself, you’re in trouble. You will hit a wall at some point and you’ll fall. Being a successful leader often means making tough decisions, facing challenges head-on, and inspiring those around you to do the same. To do that effectively, you must embody self-belief. This doesn't mean pretending that you never make mistakes, or always showing up at a level ten to prove yourself to your team or even to yourself. It means having confidence in your skills and capabilities to navigate any difficult situation.

Believing in yourself makes all the difference. With a strong belief in yourself, your purpose, and your team, you not only open the door to decisive decision-making, but you will be able to make a decision and stand by it without regret or remorse. Even in the face of adversity, you will not waver.

Instead of allowing your doubts to hinder you, trust in your own skills and capabilities. Lead with faith and believe in your own abilities to succeed, even if you have to fake it until you make it. The more you squash doubtful thoughts right as they arise, the stronger your mindset will become. Work on strengthening your belief in yourself, and do what you need to do to show yourself you can be what you envision yourself to be at the end of the race — a winner.

[1] https://www.pushfar.com/article/15-famous-mentoring-relationships/