3 Mindsets for Effective Leadership
A Leader Needs 3 Mindsets to Effectively Lead: Clarity, Calm, and Confidence
Matt Magee, a 16-year Firefighter out of Miami was a guest on The Phillip Gagnon Show podcast where we pulled aspects of his day-to-day practices as a firefighter and related them to leadership in everyday business. In further discussion, I discovered that there are 3 mindsets that a leaders needs to effectively lead: clarity, calm, and confidence.
Clarity
I am fascinated by the decision making process that many leaders in business adopt. Some will have a systematic approach, some will just, “ready, shoot, aim and we’ll figure it out later”, and some often never make a decision because of analysis paralysis.
As firefighters can’t show up to the scene, they need an ultra clear, almost militaristic approach, to making decisions. Of course, this is accomplished by standard operating procedures and training within everyday business, but sometimes the Fire Chief who is the decision-making authority on the scene has to go off book depending on what’s happening. Sometimes we have to make those executive decisions.
My advice is to find your “Why”. What’s the ultimate goal? Why do you want to meet that goal? What does meeting that goal mean to you or your team. When you define your “why” it makes those executive decisions easier. You could do this personally too. Why do you do what you do? Why are you in the industry you are in? Is it to help a million people before you die like Matt Magee’s goal is? Knowing your why puts you in the right mindset to make effective, direct decisions which will overall help you and your team be more efficient.
Calm
When Matt Magee was starting out as a rookie, the call would come in and he would rush, rush, rush to get ready and get to his seat on the truck. This would get his adrenaline pumping - and the greatest advice he received from a veteran was, “Walk to the truck. Take a beat and slow down.”
Just like the rookie we sometimes want to rush into a situation and get it over with or keep moving forward no matter what. However, when we take a beat, we take less emotionally charged decisions and can better work the problem. When the pressure is on, we can be a beacon of direction rather than get lost in the chaos. Having a calm mindset will allow us to show up at our best for our team.
Confidence
In his interview, Matt shares with us his experience of getting his Smoke Divers Certification, which Firefighters equate to the Navy SEALs Hell Week. There is no pay raise or accolades that come with this certification, however, my firefighting friend gained a sense of knowing where his limits were and that he could push past them, never letting his mindset or doubts hold him back.
By pushing yourself to improve your skills, knowledge, and experience, you will find that you can question your limits more and go beyond them, drastically changing how you and your team face obstacles. Often working with a coach, consultant, and mentor can help you look at values, ideas, and action plans from a different perspective and help you move past your comfort zone. Having a mindset of confidence can ensure that you are operating at your highest potential and open new opportunities for you and your team.
Mindset is a leader's most important components to lead effectively.
