July 8, 2010 Do You MIND?
Leaders must go beyond addressing actions – they must coach their teams on thinking. What can you do to trust your talent and get your brain out of the way? Learn how to identify thinking we must overcome to get past ourselves, and get to where we want to go.
Does your mind work for or against you? Does your thinking hold you back or propel you toward your goals? What can you do to trust your talent and get your brain out of the way?
Leaders must go beyond addressing actions – they must coach their teams on thinking. According to Dr. Julie Bell, well-known sport psychologist and author of Performance Intelligence At Work: The Five Essentials to Achieving the Mind of a Champion, the MIND is a great acronym for identifying thinking we must overcome to get past ourselves, and get to where we want to go.
M stands for Monkey on your back – those things we tell ourselves to beat ourselves up. The key is to recognize the monkey (or several), and refocus on the desired outcome: What would you like to happen?
I stands for Intimidated. Remember, you can only be intimidated if you agree to it, by choosing to ignore your personal strengths and resources, and instead, building up concepts or people. This can paralyze your instincts. Make the choice not to be intimidated – it makes all the difference.
N stands for Natural mindset – doing what you are trained to do. When you sign your name, you are in the Natural mindset. This is where we want to be, and where we are when we are well trained with skills sharpened. Research shows we are in natural mindset only about 10 percent of the time. The good news is, you can train yourself with determination and repetition to be in natural mindset more often.
D is the Determined mindset that occurs when you make a conscious choice to focus on a solution or correction, rather than worrying about what you are doing wrong. It is the practice of intentional thinking.
Performing your best when it matters most is an intentional choice. It really is all in your MIND.
Carla Feagans is the President and Chief Learning Officer of Ignite Consulting. Ignite is the premier strengths-focused training and coaching firm in Indianapolis, Indiana, that specializes in focusing on what is right instead of what is wrong. For more information about our talent assessments, Ignite Your Strengths programs, and Mind Of A Champion training and coaching, please contact Carla at 317-777-6470, ext. 401, or Carla@ignitehr.com. Because Life’s Too Short To Be Unhappy At Work!
Tags: coach, coaching, leadership coaching, management coaching and training
