The ability of leading is a fundamental aspect in a company. Having a growth mindset as an individual and as a CEO of a business, tends to spread this way of thinking to the entire organization, making the employees feel more empowered and committed. When people face challenges, receive criticism, or fail, it easily creates a virtuous cycle of insecurity and defensiveness. If a company plays a talent game, it makes it harder for its employees to practice a growth-mindset thinking and behaviour, such as teamwork, sharing information, innovating, seeking for feedback or admitting errors (HBR, 2021). As a consequence, in order to maintain a growth environment, it is essential to identify and work with those triggers that affect every individual. Managers and executives have learned to identify when that feeling of anxiety and threat shows up. It is important to understand it and use it at their advantage.
What is more, leadership has developed during the years. As new issues and challenges are being faced from the outside world, influencing individuals inside companies need to adapt and experiment new ways to transmit a growth mindset. Business of Fashion, released a podcast on this matter, in which they had as guest speaker who is the author and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek. He has written multiple books on the importance of looking beyond “how” and “what” when making strategic decisions in a firm. Nevertheless, the podcast focuses on how leadership has changed and what new opportunities have opened up for business in the fashion industry. When talking, the word “purpose” was the pivot point to which Sinek referred to. In a year where the world stopped and big brands laid back, individuals started to reset and rebuild their values. Numbers and performance are no longer the key elements for business success but transparency and purpose are. As the new generations became more informed on how different firms conduct their businesses, with a special focus on the supply chain. No matter the absurdity of the products they sell, individuals will always prefer a company which has a stronger focus on sustainability themes. A clear example that Sinek has illustrated is the strategic decision Marco Bizzari, current CEO of Gucci, undertook. Gucci managed to diversify itself through their inclusivity approach. The project “Gucci Equilibrium” focuses on how to promote sustainability inside and outside the Maison but also strives to achieve a change in the overall society.
Core values are now the backbone of a company. Giving employees a free and safe space in which they can express their ideas can boost creativity and business activity. As Simon Sinek said during the interview with Business of Fashion (2021) “You know, you can tell that an organization loses when it becomes obsessed with output… and they lose [the] sense of their own values and if you’re an employee or customer you can feel it”. Profit should be at the bottom of the list because, if a company has a valuable idea and the people who work in it are motivated, there is no need to worry.
Understanding growth-mindset concepts and the process on how to put them into practice, can give an added value to both the organization and to individuals. Seeing a company develop and expand, thanks to the vision and expertise of its employees, it automatically establishes an effective corporate culture.
Sources:
Harvard Business Review. (2021). What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means. https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means
The Business of Fashion. (2021). A Masterclass on Leadership With Simon Sinek. https://www.businessoffashion.com/podcasts/news-analysis/a-masterclass-on-leadership-with-simon-sinek