Lately, thought leaders in the business community have rallied around the concept of a ‘growth mindset.” In essence, this philosophy means successful people are those who put in the time, effort, learning, and persistence to develop personally and professionally. But what does that look like in the real world?
Here are our three tips to embrace this mindset in your career:
Don’t take rejection personally
Every direct sales professional will have challenges thrown at them, from small to more significant. The growth-minded salesperson sees these challenges as an opportunity to learn and grow and knows that failure is part of the process at times. When things don’t go as planned, it’s critical to learn from the experience, take inventory of what you did well and where you can adjust course for next time. Every day presents a chance to start fresh.
Overcome obstacles
Just like rejection can build character, so can obstacles. In such scenarios, experts encourage you to be resilient, devise a strategy to contend with setbacks, and keep problem-solving skills fresh.
A good example of this is failing to earn a promotion or bonus you’ve had your sights set on. Of course, it’s easy to get discouraged. But being objective about what went wrong and taking in feedback will help you in the long run.
Never stop learning
Learning from those whom you admire is a very effective way of honing your own skills. A growth-minded approach means you approach other’s accomplishments as a source of inspiration as opposed to a threat. Earning their time and attention can be difficult, given they’re typically highly focused on their work. But try to make the most of your time together, if you get the opportunity. They might share how they motivated their sales team and how they adapted to adversity.
If you don’t have access to such conversations, you can still put in the work in the form of reading books, listening to podcasts, attending seminars, and other forms of professional development. Some of the most successful people allow for time in their schedule for such growth opportunities.
Adopting a growth mindset is no easy task. It takes discipline and dedication but ultimately, it’s well worth it. The successful salesperson needs to learn how to lean into risk, understand their weaknesses, and learn from those around them.
What’s one thing you can do this week to flex your growth mindset muscles? You might find in time that changing your attitude can transform your business.