Who doesn’t love campfires? They’re warm, comforting and have crackling sounds to challenge any ASMR track. And, they’ve also served as an important destination for centuries…
That of a point for human connection.
Tag: Learning
New managers often feel the pressure to have all the answers right away.
One of the biggest lessons in leadership is learning to embrace growth, not perfection. In my years of working with people managers, I’ve seen that success comes when leaders focus on learning over knowing it all.
Here’s the truth: You don’t become a manager and suddenly know all the answers. It doesn’t work like that.
Many of us, at some point, have looked up to our bosses and thought they had it all figured out. But the reality is, they don’t. Just like everyone else, people managers are human.
And guess what? Humans mess up!
It’s important to remember that no one expects you to know it all. Instead of stressing about being perfect, focus on building a supportive environment where you and your team can grow and solve problems together.
The “I Need to Know Everything” Trap
When you’re new to managing people, it’s easy to feel like you need to have all the answers.
But this mindset can hold you back.
Being responsible for others is a big deal, but that doesn’t mean you need to be perfect. The biggest mistake you can make is pretending you know it all.
Here’s an analogy I picked up from YouTuber Ali Abdaal that fits perfectly for new managers.
Be an Archaeologist, not an Architect
So, you’re probably thinking , WTF! Is he talking about?
Stay with me here, it will come good, I promise.
When we step into people management roles it’s common to think with an architect’s mindset.
When you first become a manager, you think you need to be like an architect—someone who plans everything perfectly, with a detailed blueprint for every situation.
But here’s the catch: even the best architects, with years of experience, still make mistakes. And if you’re just starting out, you definitely won’t have all the answers.
For new people managers, and even some experienced ones, this is the classic example of running before you can walk.
Those of us with decades of experience in people management still don’t have the answer. So when you start out, you most certainly won’t either.
The problem arises that many of us become so concerned about what people think of us as managers, that we’ll stick with an architect’s mindset and pretend we know the answer to every little thing.
This will of course become troublesome for you and those you’re responsible for.
This reminds me of a classic line from the film “The Dark Knight” where the Joker reveals “Nobody panics when things go “according to plan”. Even if the plan is horrifying!”
So if being an architect isn’t going to help us succeed, then what will?
Enter the Archaeologist
Archaeologists are constant seekers of knowledge.
They don’t know everything, but they’re always digging, learning, and discovering new things.
This is not too different from the approach that people managers (and really all of us) should take to our own growth and knowledge.
It’s impossible to know everything and be perfect in every situation. Life is a continual journey of growth. We think we’re shit hot at something one week and then realise the next that we still have much to learn.
So, in sum: You don’t know it all and no one is expecting you to either.
Becoming a good manager takes time and discovery.
Why Curiosity is Key
The best managers aren’t the ones who think they know it all.
They’re the ones who are constantly learning and asking questions. No one expects you to have all the answers, but they do expect you to keep improving.
In leadership, it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being curious, seeking knowledge, and connecting with your team.
When you do that, you’ll not only grow yourself, but help others grow too.
Before you go… 👋
If you like my writing and think “Hey, I’d like to hear more of what this guy has to say” then you’re in luck.
You can join me every Tuesday morning for more tools, templates and insights for the modern L&D pro in my weekly newsletter.
Categories
This is Web 3.0 Explained
Did you even know that we had different versions and evolutions of the web? Perhaps not!
I’m pretty sure 99% of the population doesn’t, but that’s where this article comes into play.
Categories
The Anatomy Of A Growth Mindset
It was Albert Einstein who said “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and only cease at death.”
Yet, I find many believe that education and in turn most growth stops once you complete your studies with an education establishment. But, I would hope that those reading this would know that the education of life never ends.
I had the chance be part of a Q&A panel at an event with the topic focussed on the skills people will need in 2030.
This conversation triggered a wave of thinking and reflection in my own mind. Particularly on the prerequisite that I believe is needed before any skill acquisition. Your mindset.
And in particular, for me, why a growth mindset is the essential trait for lifelong development.
I’ve seen many high performers and those who find success in their own niche all possess this.
Look, you’ve probably heard the word growth mindset thrown around a million times on social platforms like it’s some kind of secret weapon that you have to join a cult to gain access to.
But don’t worry, none of that is required.
Unpacking a growth mindset
If you google the words ‘growth mindset’ you’ll be met with an abundance of images and articles all sharing variations of this idea.
In my research, I’ve found most of these originate from one person in particular – Carol Dweck.
Carol is a psychologist and professor of psychology at Stanford University where she is known for her extensive work on mindset with a focus on motivation, personality and social development.
I’ll be referencing a number of pieces of Carol’s work about growth mindset as we go on.
What exactly do we mean when we say growth mindset?
My interpretation (for what it’s worth) is that someone who cultivates a growth mindset is not only open to new ideas and philosophies but seeks them out.
They don’t just fail fast, they learn from it, they adapt to the evolution of the world around them and aren’t afraid to make adjustments or change their mind when presented with new information.
But, that’s just me, far smarter people like Carol Dweck describe it as:
“In a fixed mindset students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits.
They have a certain amount and that’s that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb. In a growth mindset students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence.
They don’t necessarily think everyone’s the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it.”
And to build upon this from another article by Carol Dweck in Harvard Business Review titled “What having a growth mindset actually means” we learn:
“Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset.
They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset (those who believe their talents are innate gifts). This is because they worry less about looking smart and they put more energy into learning.”
Essentially, a growth mindset is one of believing that you are not fixed, you don’t have to stay the way you already are. Growth is always possible and with application, you can always learn and change.
Don’t confuse this with blue sky thinking of ‘you can be whatever you want to be’ – this philosophy is more grounded in the reality of reaching your own potential, and not saying I can be just like so and so.
Why is it so important?
Before you can talk about building skills and your desired career, we must craft our approach.
My work over the last two decades has allowed me to connect with people from all walks of life. What I’ve learnt from those people is that cultivating a curious mind and one of growth is the biggest enabler of peak performance.
And, it’s important to note that you aren’t born with a fixed mind or a growth mind.
It’s something you develop as a philosophy throughout your life. We can never have a 100% growth or fixed mind, we all straddle between both.
We’ll have areas where we seek growth and others where we can find our views are fixed, but this can all be changed.
I’m feeling very quotey in this one, so let me share another from the ever engaging Bruce Lee who said “Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup.
How this can help you and your organisation
You’ve probably figured out the answer to this already from what I’ve shared.
Now I usually love to share data and lots of figures to illustrate my thoughts. But, in my research so far (it’s always a continual thing) I’ve found very little hard data that objectively analyses the effect of growth mindset, whether positive or negative.
I tend to believe on occasions that not everything that matters can be measured.
From what we know (and can see in high performing individuals) about the philosophy of growth mindset, it does sound like an approach that would enable continuous growth for many of us.
In my own experience, the high performers I’ve come across in life all display this approach in some way. It’s one I try to cultivate in my own life too.
Of course, mindset alone will not bring you success.
We must also have the desire to do many things and the discipline to achieve them (more on that in an upcoming edition).
So, before we talk about skills, let’s explore the mind.
We will all only get as far as our mind allows us.
So it might just be that in cultivating a mindset of growth we can reach not only our own potential but also help others do that too.
Before you go… 👋
If you like my writing and think “Hey, I’d like to hear more of what this guy has to say” then you’re in luck.
You can join me every Tuesday morning for more tools, templates and insights for the modern L&D pro in my weekly newsletter.
I spend a lot of my working life with learning technologies.
Using them, researching them and constantly being hounded by sales teams representing the millions of suppliers worldwide telling me that I need to buy their platform as it’s going to change my world.
I can confidently report that after 15 years in this game, not one of those messages delivered on their promise of rocking my world.
