Cultivating a beginner’s mindset
How learning to ski aligns with leadership
Last year, I took a ski lesson.
I approached that lesson with a lot of confidence because I had spent the past 15 years snowboarding. I thought, “If I’ve been snowboarding for the past 15 years, I can probably put on a pair of skis and get on the mountain.” And guess what… It was hard!
I had to pretend I’d never snowboarded in my life and think about all the technique, the step-by-step processes, and have an open mind because while there are some transferable skills between snowboarding and skiing, it’s a completely different sport.
When I was on the mountain going down that hill, I thought to myself – “this is exactly what it feels like when you transition into a leadership role!” You do a job for many years, get good at it, and have the opportunity to take on a new job. And THAT job is hard – some things are transferable, but there are a lot of new things. Challenging things. Things that maybe make you wish you could go back to your old job.
How do we overcome this? I want you to think about having a beginner’s mindset.
What is beginner’s mindset?
When you approach something as a beginner, you come with an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions. It’s not about abandoning the expertise you’ve worked so hard to develop. It’s about approaching your leadership with humility, letting go of assumptions, embracing uncertainty, and viewing challenges as opportunities for growth and discovery.
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.”
– Shunryu Suzuki
Beginner’s mindset for leaders
Maybe it feels hard.
Maybe you’re not getting the good feedback you’re used to.
Maybe you’re not the one who has all the answers anymore.
Maybe you’re wondering what you got yourself into.
Pause.
This is where having that beginner’s mindset can take you from discouraged to ignited.
How to cultivate a beginner’s mindset
It can take conscious effort to tell yourself you’re a beginner, especially when you’re scrambling to prove yourself in a new leadership role. Accept that you’re not going to be the best at this right away. Asking for help and asking questions isn’t a sign of incompetency – it’s a sign you’re learning and growing. Use these three questions to help you get focused and forge ahead:
What questions do you have?
Who can support you?
How can you take ownership of your learning process?
Having a beginner’s mindset isn’t weakness – it’s growth and development.
And remember: leadership is an ongoing journey which requires practice, patience, and self-reflection.
Sparking a beginner’s mindset in your team
It’s our responsibility as leaders to help our team members practice having a beginner’s mindset, too.
Recognize when your employees need a development boost. They’ll feel more fulfilled knowing that they’re really being developed in their roles, no matter how long they’ve been there or how experienced they are.
Assign tasks that will push your team to the next level. Create a culture of learning that constantly stimulates your team with challenges and coach them through the process.
Share what you’re learning about a beginner’s mindset to encourage a culture of beginner’s mindset in your team.
The organizational benefits are beautiful. A beginner’s mindset cultivates a culture of trust, which improves creativity, which leads to an agile, resilient, problem-solving team. You can see why I love this!
Wrapping it up…
Having a beginner’s mindset in your leadership is a valuable approach for tackling tasks from new angles, discovering new approaches, and creating real team camaraderie. Your mindset sets the tone for your team’s culture.
You’ll have many opportunities to practice and develop a beginner’s mindset throughout your career – with every new role, every new team member, every new project. As you continue to cultivate this mindset, you’ll discover new possibilities, overcome challenges with resilience, and inspire those around you to do the same.
Have a beginner’s mindset. Model a beginner’s mindset. Encourage a beginner’s mindset.
Lead the way,
PS – If you want to keep learning about beginner’s mindset, I share resources & more in my monthly newsletter. You can subscribe here →
