The world reflects your view of it, so if you change the way you look at things, things change the way they look.
The things we focus on create a magnet for our lives. Focus on opportunities, and doors seem to open. Focus on problems, and obstacles are plentiful. Focus on things outside of your uncontrol and you will easily throw in the towel of frustration. Focus on fear versus faith and your will be paralyzed with inaction. Focus on weakness instead of strengths and you will miss your natural giftedness. Focus on the drama life offers and your life will be a soap opera.
The more you focus on the positive side of life, the more you will attract these things. Focus on forgiveness and you will find the world forgiving. Focus on the comedy life offers and your life will be full of laughs. Focus on opportunities and they will abound. Focus on learning and moving forward and stumbling blocks are converted into stepping stones.
It is a common design principle to build systems and plans for the norm instead of the exception, so why not design your mindset the same way? To embrace a positive coaching mindset, it’s best to assume the best all the time. If you choose to protect yourself from disappointment by always thinking the worst, you have also chosen disappointment as the filter through which you view all things and people…and that’s just what you will get. On the other hand, you can choose to think the best all the time. Sure, you might be disappointed occasionally but, most of the time, you will be programming your mind and others to achieve their best.
Shifting to your role as a coach, consider what you will see if you choose a positive coaching mindset on the left versus the negative one on the right.
Positive Coaching Mindset | Negative Coaching Mindset |
People can change and grow. | People are stuck in their ways. |
People want to succeed. | People just want a paycheck. |
People want to do the right thing. | People will cheat and steal for their own benefit. |
People will rise to the expectations set for them. | People will only do the minimum required. |
People want to help. | People just care about themselves. |
A study by Korn Ferry found that 65% of female CEO from large companies realized they could be a CEO only after someone told them they could be a CEO. This might initially seem shocking, but it should not be a surprise when you consider the many observations we have all had of an average employee under an average leader who flourishes once he/she is assigned to an inspiring leader. It is rarely a better coaching skillset, and very often a more positive mindset and expectations that make the difference. People rise to the level of your expectations for them. And just as importantly, you will rise to the level of expectations for yourself. Do you think you can change, improve, achieve, lead, coach with excellence? Your mindset about yourself and others is one of the very best predictors of the kind of results and relationships you will create.