Leadership and #openmindset

In certain job descriptions, I’m reading that an #openmindset is required . I find this interesting, especially when it comes to leadership.

So, what is an #openmindset?
It is about being open to new things, ideas, information, and innovation. It’s the opposite of being closed-minded, which means sticking rigidly to your own beliefs and dismissing anything that challenges them.
An open mindset should be a pre-requisite for holding leadership positions . Unfortunately, this is not the case when you look at companies like Kodak, Nokia and others. They were market leaders once, and then disappeared completely, as they simply fell out of time .

What are some key aspects of an #openmindset?

Being truly interested in learning something new every day !#openminded people are curious and interested in learning new things every day. It’s about actively seeking new information that might challenge existing beliefs and the willingness to consider those fairly.

Knowing and acknowledging your own limitations: No one knows everything, and even the smartest people can be wrong. An #openmindset means accepting that you might not have all the answers and being open to the possibility that your beliefs could be wrong.

The willingness to listen: having an #openmindset means truly listening and being open to other people’s perspectives. Showing interest if they differ from your own. This requires paying attention, asking clarifying questions, and trying to understand where they’re coming from.

Being adaptable: The world is constantly changing, especially these days with the digitalization. New information is permanently emerging. An #openmindset allows to change and adapt your beliefs and approaches as needed based on new evidence and experiences.

„A nice analogy is, to think about your mind as a muscle that can be trained. That means the more you train it by exposing yourself to new ideas and challenging your assumptions, the stronger and more flexible it becomes“

What are the benefits of an #openmindset ?

Learn and grow personally every day
By being open to new innovations and updated information, you can constantly expand your knowledge and understand the world better

Make better decisions:
When you know and consider options and perspectives, you’re more likely to make well-informed and better choices.

Build stronger relationships
Having an #openmindset allows you to connect with people who have different backgrounds and viewpoints way easier

Solve problems easier, and more effectively:
By evaluating different approaches, you’re more likely to find creative solutions to all kind of problems.

Years ago, I’ve developed the habit of reading at least one book per week. Books about leadership, technology, personal development, healthy living, and so on. This helps expanding knowledge in a great way. 

So, if you’re looking to improve your life, developing an #openmindset is a great place to start.