by BREAKTHRU Team

Leading with a limitless mindset

As a leader, you want to do what you do best. Lead. And there are endless resources on how to improve your skills to create more impact; but what if you moved beyond external, tangible skills and looked inward? What if you changed your mindset?

Discovering who and what to lead and unlocking why (our internal motivation and purpose) we lead takes our mission and our abilities to the next level–it’s not just about quantitative skills. And often, our journey to become leaders appears linear, following a traditional path to promotion. But what if there was no tradition? No limits? Nothing holding you back besides yourself? What if you could discover your purpose and act on it boldly? What would the world look like if you did? For all of our best practices, check out our latest eBook.

Growth vs. Limitless mindset

Before we can become limitless, we must understand and unpack the “growth” mindset.

In trying to succeed, overcome challenges, and reinvent ourselves, we often find that there are limitations. Whether these are mental, physical, or environmental, sometimes these obstacles feel too great to conquer.

As a solution to these fears of failure, we’ve been given the “growth mindset”–a way of viewing setbacks as a “springboard for growth and developing your abilities.” But what if there was more than “growth”?

The growth mindset was developed over 30 years ago by Dr. Carol Dweck and her colleagues. They noticed that, when it came to failure, some people “rebounded while other [people] seemed devastated by even the smallest setbacks.”

From countless studies, Dweck coined the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset to “describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence. When [people] believe they can get smarter, they understand that effort makes them stronger. Therefore they put in extra time and effort, and that leads to higher achievement.”

While the growth mindset is valuable, it tends to be more intrapersonal or internal (“How do I handle adversity?” or “How do I handle mistakes?”). It also feels more reactive–serving as a guide for responding to the situation, the task, or the conditions at hand rather than a more proactive outlook inspired by what might be possible in the future.

Here are some ways in which a growth mindset differs from a limitless mindset:

More internal, passive
“I can learn more.”

More external, action-oriented
“I can do more.”

Finite, discrete
“If I put in extra time or effort, I will achieve my goal.”

Infinite, open-ended
“If I put in extra time or efforts, the opportunities are endless.”

Recovery
“I can bounce back from my mistakes.”

Resiliency
“My mistakes nurture my confidence and fuel my growth.”

Handling adversity
“When I face a setback, I can dig my way out.”

Embracing adversity
“When I face a setback, I overcome it or course-correct for a better future outcome.”

What if we could all go further than simply “growth”? What if we could move beyond being merely reactive and internally focused and push ourselves to become proactive and altruistic? What would the world look like if we all adopted a limitless mindset?

Unlock your potential

At BREAKTHRU Brands, we empower female leaders and founders to nurture their limitless mindsets–moving beyond just “growth”–and, as a result, boldly guide people, ideas, and movements with clarity and confidence. We understand that living authentically is never simple, and often you will butt heads with those who see your limitlessness and boldness as a threat, but that is why you need someone in your corner. Someone who sees you for who you are and encourages you to take ownership. Our team will help you unlock your potential and boost you to become who you are meant to be. Are you ready to find the support and motivation you need to become your best, limitless self? Download our most recent eBook to learn more about how to own your limitlessness and become BOLD.