There are few things that reveal the character of a human being or a leader more than a crisis. In times of adversity and disruption, we either fearfully withdraw and cling to the past, or we fearlessly take bold new steps into the future, even when the future is uncertain. Relationally, we either withdraw internally in a self-protective manner, or we reach out to others externally in order to help and support them. As we lead in a crisis, we must acknowledge that everyone, including ourselves as leaders, either chooses to relate to others with an inward mindset or an outward mindset. The Arbinger Institute defines an inward mindset as a mentality that primarily focuses upon self, in contrast to an outward mindset that primarily focuses upon others.
Organizational success in any business, especially in a time of crisis, necessitates leaders and their team members living with an outward mindset. Leadership is primarily about relationships. Every business is primarily about relationships. Exceptional leaders build great relationships and establish “we-centered” rather than “self-centered” cultures where people value unselfishness, and self-sacrificially give of themselves to others. Leaders must consistently model relational patterns where it is obvious that they relate to their people with an outward mindset. This requires highly valuing their people as individuals, rather than treating them as objects that are to be used. Leaders must not expect their team members to be relating to one another and their customers with an outward mindset, if they are not relating to those that they lead with an outward mindset.
What does it take for an organization to work through this crisis, and to become an even better organization as a result of this crisis? The answer is simple. It requires leaders and their people cultivating an outward mindset together with one another, and with their customers! Our mindset is about how we “see” each other, while our behaviors are about how we “treat” each other. Many organizations and leaders make the mistake of focusing upon the behaviors of their people without focusing on the underlying issue that drives behaviors, which is mindset. How we think about others always determines how we treat others.
The only way that organizations and leaders are going to successfully work through the COVID-19 pandemic is by leading and relating to others with an outward mindset. Pat Riley, one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, has concluded that the single greatest obstacle great athletes and teams need to overcome is “the disease of me”. The disease of me is when an individual chooses to live in a world of “I, me and my” without considering what is in the best interest of one’s teammates and organization. An outward mindset creates a synergistic “we-centered” culture where team members recognize that successful relationships, teams and organizations are rooted in an outward, rather than an inward, mindset.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been an eye-opening experience for all of us. Many of the heroes of this crisis have chosen to place their lives at great risk to serve others. What makes a great leader? May this crisis remind us that the truest, most effective, and enduring leadership is the kind of leadership that demands service, sacrifice and selflessness. What kind of leadership are you providing in this crisis? For the sake of others, and this organization, may we choose to lead with an outward mindset!
