Change Your Mindset
How to Think Like a CEO for Your Future Success
A blueprint for CEOs to draw a disciplined strategy
Strategic thinking helps CEOs build successful businesses. It helps them establish everlasting enterprises. It is one of the key elements of decision-making. It is different from strategic leadership. It differentiates between leaders from managers.
The strategy is the means and mechanism through which organizations accomplish their goals and objectives. It is the process of preparing for the future by scanning the internal and external environment and weighing the strengths and weaknesses of competitors and creating the future.
It is to reciprocate with the counter moves and actions as per the tactics of competitors to stay ahead of the game. Michael Porter defines, “Strategy is about setting yourself apart from the competition. It’s not a matter of being better at what you do – it’s a matter of being different at what you do.”
The strategy helps identify what is holding back to reach the next higher level. It is not a popularity contest. It helps please the majority of customers, not all customers.
The strategy is fundamentally a set of choices the leaders make across the value chain. So, leaders should not try to be the best but to be unique to stand out from the rest.
Strategy versus tactics
Corporate strategy involves a judicious blend of strategy and tactics. CEOs must work in trenches and blend strategy and tactics effectively to build successful businesses. They must keep their language simple and straight to enable a layperson to understand and implement their strategy. They must be strategic thinkers blending both strategy and tactics.
To be a strategic thinker, you must dream bigger, think bigger, see the big picture, and understand the tactics. When you want to succeed as an entrepreneur you must combine strategy and tactics.
Here are some differences between strategy and tactics. Strategic thinking is doing the right things while tactics are doing things right. The strategy is a long-term blueprint which is usually fixed while tactics are flexible and change as per the issue and prevailing scenario.
The strategy emphasizes long-term solutions while tactics emphasize short-term quick-fix solutions. The strategy is proactive while tactics are reactive. The strategy is done above the shoulders while tactics are done below the shoulders.
The strategy is unstructured and focused clearly while tactics are structured and executed effectively.
The strategy is creative while tactics are analytical. The strategy is external-focused while tactics are internal-focused. The strategy is difficult to evaluate while tactics are easy to evaluate.
The strategy is at the senior level while tactics are at middle-level management. The strategy is intangible while tactics are tangible. Strategy deals with general aspects while tactics deal with specific aspects.
Tactics are a subset of strategy. Succinctly, strategy is an end while tactics are the means to accomplish the ends.
Characteristics of strategic thinkers
Strategic thinkers are optimistic and confident. They are curious by nature and are always out of their comfort zone. They explore and experiment with new things. They don’t stick to time-tested tools and techniques because they know that what worked in the past may not work now and in the future.
They think from multiple perspectives and change their tools and tactics from time to time. They cannot be predicted by others. They are proactive, status quo ante, and think long-term.
Strategic thinkers are part of the solution, not the problem. They look at the root of the problem and address them earnestly and effectively. They solve the problem, not the symptom. They start with the end in mind.
They don’t wait to seek complete information on issues. They work with the existing information and utilize the tools they have without blaming circumstances and others. They neither overestimate nor underestimate their and others’ abilities.
They remain calm during crises. They reflect a lot. They are risk-takers, embrace change wholeheartedly and thrive on uncertainty. They are curious, creative, and adaptable. They are voracious readers. They change their tools and tactics from time to time to avoid being checkmated by others and stay ahead of the race.
They strive for excellence, not perfection. They act and don’t react to the challenges. They are persistent to resolve the challenges and are aware that it is often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.
How to improve your strategic thinking?
Strategic thinking is a unique approach to examining challenges analytically and connecting them logically to predict the future. It involves predicting what is likely to happen and creating the future accordingly.
It helps view issues from multiple perspectives and makes mindful decisions. It is a mindset and a way of life for leaders and CEOs within organizations. Strategic thinking skill development transforms unproductive time and activity into productive time and strategic activity. Strategic thinking is both born and bred.
It is partly gifted through genes and partly developed by thinking strategically and through practice. It can be honed by various means including reflecting, connecting the dots, leveraging your whole brain, empathizing, and making decisions through head, heart, gut, and intuition.
You can improve strategic thinking by avoiding preconceived notions, having an open mind, listening carefully, and asking appropriate and meaningful questions.
You must see the invisible. Build networks that help you scan the horizon. Get at the root of the issue. Be steady. Gather information from multiple sources and synthesize them to build your own perspective to make decisions. Take feedback to improve your strategic thinking.
To summarize, strategic thinking exists in all humans but only a few discover and channel it effectively to accomplish their goals. When you want to achieve big in your life, you must hone it regularly by coming out of your comfort zone.
A blueprint for CEOs to draw a disciplined strategy
Strategic thinkers see the big picture, scan the environment, and weigh the pros and cons before making decisions to create the future.
Here is a blueprint for CEOs to create a strategy.
Identify the forces and factors that are tangible and intangible. You can easily address the tangible forces and factors but it is a Herculean task to identify and address the intangible forces and factors.
Therefore, CEOs must emphasize more on intangible forces to address organizational issues. It is easier said than done. They must draw a diagram dividing into tangible and intangible forces. They must divide the diagram further from tangible forces and imagine the forces that are intangible.
To conclude, there is an urgent need to improve strategic thinking at all levels of management especially at the top-level management to achieve organizational excellence and effectiveness.
Change Your Mindset
The Art of Convincing: 10 Persuasion Techniques That Really Work
The knack for persuading others can act as a catalyst for change, open doors, forge alliances, and effect positive change
Persuasion is not as complicated as it may sound. In fact, it is something that we have been practicing since childhood. Do you remember convincing your parents to let you skip school, asking your teacher not to assign homework, or persuading your boss to give you a day off? Well, these are just small examples of what persuasion looks like. (more…)
Personal Development
5 Key Reasons Why Perfectionist’s Procrastinate
Hey there! I’m Joel Brown, a procrastination mindset specialist. In my world, it’s all about guiding my students through repatterning exercises to break free from the shackles that prevent them from scaling new heights in life.
Now, you might hear ‘perfectionist’ and think, “Ah, they’re destined for success!” But here’s the real deal: perfectionism is far from a superpower. It’s a sneaky villain in disguise, sapping emotional and physical strength, disrupting sleep, and fueling an endless cycle of rumination—all in the pursuit of getting everything ‘just right.’ This relentless chase is what we call the ‘Obsessive Idealist‘ procrastination type.
If you don’t know which out of. the 6 procrastination types you are then you can take this quick 3 minute procrastination type quiz on my Mindstrong Academy website.
Through my fourteen years of coaching, I’ve identified six procrastination types, but my journey started with a personal revelation—I am an Obsessive Idealist. I’ve been there, constantly toggling between creation and procrastination.
And today, I invite you to explore this path with me. If you’re nodding along, thinking, “That sounds like me; I’m a perfectionist too,” then stick around.
I’m about to shed some light on why you might be stuck in this cycle.
Here’s a perfectionist procrastination type video here of what I’m breaking down in this article for you:
The Obsessive Idealist: Unpacking the Perfectionist’s Paradox
First things first, make sure to take the procrastination quiz: mindstrongacademy.com/quiz to see where you stand. Now, let’s dive into the world of the Obsessive Idealist. Often labeled as high achievers or perfectionists, the core of their procrastination lies in the mind’s protective pause. It’s a shield against perceived threats, pitfalls of perfectionism, and the constant battle between the now and the future in our minds.
Here’s the paradox: what seems like a strength for high achievers can become a crippling hindrance. Obsessive Idealists are in a constant struggle to avoid failure, aiming for 100% perfection. But let’s face the truth—no one is perfect. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, athlete, or any individual striving for excellence, embracing imperfections and learning from failures are crucial steps.
The Traps of Being an Obsessive Idealist Procrastination Type
Analysis Paralysis: Overthinking every detail to the point of inaction is a common pitfall. It’s like trying to get everything perfect, but in reality, it backfires, stalling your progress.
The Unrealistic Standards Syndrome: Setting impossibly high goals is like chasing a mirage. It’s not just about being competitive; it can lead to unfair self-criticism and unrealistic expectations of others.
The Time Trap: Believing there’s never enough time to complete a task perfectly leads to constant postponement. This selective focus on strengths, while avoiding areas of improvement, limits your true potential.
Avoidance of Criticism: Dodging feedback hinders growth. It’s essential to learn to accept constructive criticism without internalizing it as a reinforcement of the “I’m not good enough” narrative.
The All-or-Nothing Lie: Believing that you must operate at full throttle or not at all is a dangerous misconception. Embracing the middle ground, like delegating tasks and seeking mentorship, is key to balanced success.
Embracing Imperfection: The Path to True Progress
In the MindStrong Academy, where I teach conquering procrastination, we focus on managing these patterns effectively. Currently, we’re offering a 7-day free trial, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to transform your mindset: MindStrongAcademy.com The Academy is more than just a course; it’s a community where you’ll find support, accountability, and tailored resources like a 31-day planner and visualization audios to realign your focus.
In conclusion, recognizing and managing your tendencies as an Obsessive Idealist is crucial. By addressing the deep-rooted “I’m not good enough” narrative and embracing imperfection, you can shift from a state of constant stress to one of harmonized power.
Remember, movement doesn’t always equate to progress. It’s about finding balance, embracing downtime, and allowing yourself the space to grow and learn.
I encourage you to take the quiz, join the MindStrong Academy, and start your journey towards a more balanced, successful life.
Let’s break free from the chains of perfectionism together!
Change Your Mindset
Unlocking Success: Subconscious Reprogramming, Mindset, and Transformative Strategies for Improved Wellbeing and Business Performance
What if I told you that the negative thoughts or self-limiting beliefs that you may have, are not actually yours?
In this article, I will discuss subconscious programming and how it can be reprogrammed in a way that allows you to reach your greatest potential. I will also provide tips on how you can integrate this information as a leader within the workplace.
The subconscious mind is shaped before we begin forming our own conscious thoughts, and these conscious thoughts are influenced by the subconscious mind. This means that even the thoughts that you’re consciously having, are merely an extension of that pre-existing conditioning.
When something becomes deeply ingrained within your mind through repetition, and there are other supporting thoughts that reinforce it, you will identify this information as your truth. These repeated thoughts become beliefs, and your actions will align to support and validate these beliefs.
The Importance of Observing Your Thoughts
If you continuously tell yourself that you aren’t capable or good enough, how likely are you to put in the effort to challenge this narrative? If you’ve always been a procrastinator and tell yourself that you always will be, you’re going to continue procrastinating. If you run into an obstacle and don’t believe you can overcome it, you’re not going to look for solutions or try your best to resolve it.
It’s extremely important for you to become an observer of your thoughts and understand the impacts of how those thoughts can impact your life, relationships, and overall outlook on life.
Here are some questions to help guide you:
– What are your recurring negative thoughts, and how are they impacting your performance and relationships?
– How have these thoughts held you back from achieving your goals and living the life that you’ve always dreamed of?
– What have these thoughts already cost you and what else will they cost you if they don’t change?
Societal conditioning, influenced by a lower level of collective consciousness, has made the experience of debilitating thoughts highly prevalent. It’s not your fault that you have them, but it is your responsibility to change them and choose better ones.
The Subconscious Must Be Reprogrammed
Reprogramming the subconscious involves positive affirmations, visualization, and consistent repetition to replace negative beliefs with positive ones. You have to become aware of the thoughts that make you feel bad and do not serve your best interest.
What are the growth-oriented thoughts that would you rather have instead? Any time that a debilitating thought crosses your mind, always correct it with new thought that uplifts, encourages and empowers you. Be consistent, be patient and understand that your logical mind will not make this process easy for you at first.
Being Delusional vs. Consciously Creating a Better Reality for Yourself
By definition, the term delusional means “holding false beliefs or judgments about external reality that are held despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary”. When you have held onto debilitating beliefs for so long and your previous actions have served as evidence to confirm their truth, it is inevitable that your logical mind will deem your new thoughts as delusional. This is where embracing change tends to become most challenging, as it involves confronting this resistance with unwavering commitment.
What you have to understand is that your former beliefs and former actions do not dictate your future, unless they remain the same. As the old beliefs become obsolete and new beliefs take their place, there will also be new aligned actions that produce different results, and this will serve as evidence to support your new truth. That being said, the most delusional thing that anyone can do is elect to keep an unfavorable mindset that was programmed for them by external factors and willingly relinquish their own personal power as a result of it.
Success is Fundamentally Rooted in the Mindset
How we show up for ourselves and others, communicate with employees, and perform in business are deeply connected to our mindset and everything that has shaped it. Let’s delve into these interconnected aspects and explore five transformative tips that will catalyze positive change in the workplace.
A growth-oriented mindset encourages resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace challenges. On the other hand, a fixed mindset hinders progress and limits potential.
Tip 1: Embrace a Growth Mindset
- Establish the belief that abilities can be developed.
- View challenges as opportunities for learning and improvement.
- Cultivate a positive attitude toward continuous growth and development.
Unpacking Trauma and Navigating the Impact
Unresolved trauma can cast a long shadow over our personal and professional lives. It shapes our reactions, influences decision-making, and impacts our interactions with others. Acknowledging and addressing trauma is essential for creating a healthier, more productive work environment.
Tip 2: Prioritize Trauma-Informed Leadership
- Cultivate empathy and understanding for individual experiences.
- Provide a safe space for open communication about trauma.
- Implement support systems and resources for employees dealing with trauma.
Elevate Relationships and Sales Performance
To enhance relationships, communication, and sales performance, a holistic approach that intertwines mindset and trauma-informed practices is key.
Tip 3: Implement Empathy-Driven Communication
- Train teams in active listening and empathetic communication.
- Create an environment where open dialogue is encouraged.
- Recognize and validate diverse perspectives, creating a culture of inclusivity.
Tip 4: Invest in Professional Development
- Offer continuous learning opportunities for employees.
- Develop leadership skills to enhance communication and relationship-building.
- Prioritize sales training programs that align with evolving market dynamics.
Tip 5: Maintain a Positive Work Culture
- Create a workplace where employees feel valued and appreciated.
- Implement recognition programs to celebrate achievements.
- Encourage a balance between professional and personal well-being.
By embracing a growth mindset, acknowledging and addressing trauma, and implementing empathetic, integrated strategies, individuals and organizations can create a transformative ripple effect. In this interconnected web of personal and professional growth, how we show up truly matters, influencing the outcomes we achieve and the impact we leave on those around us.
Enjoy the Journey
As you embark on the empowering journey of subconscious reprogramming, remember that change takes time, and self-compassion is your greatest ally. Surround yourself with positive influences, whether it be supportive friends, inspirational books, or mindfulness practices. Seek guidance from mentors who have walked a similar path and found success in reshaping their mindset. Embrace the discomfort that may arise during this process, for it signifies the shedding of old layers to make way for the new. Reflect on your progress regularly, celebrating even the smallest victories, and be patient with yourself as you navigate the intricacies of transformation.
In the spirit of rewriting your narrative, I encourage you to take the first step today. Commit to a daily practice of positive affirmations, visualize your desired reality, and consistently challenge self-limiting beliefs. If you would like support along the way, consider joining like-minded communities, Facebook groups, and curate your social media to reflect these new changes you want to embody.
Remember, thoughts become actions, and actions reinforce beliefs. It’s never too late to embark on an empowering journey to reprogram your mind, and achieve the life you have always dreamed of!
For more tips and strategies on how to improve your mindset, follow me at @bigdivineenergy.
Change Your Mindset
How to Let Go of Unconscious Patterns That No Longer Serve You
Spending more and more time going inward will free you to move forward.
I was chatting with a friend of mine who was recently laid off. The experience has been overwhelming for him in a myriad of ways, including feeling inadequate and not good enough to get another job. (more…)
-
Success Advice4 weeks ago
Mindful Productivity: How Top Achievers Combine Focus and Balance
-
Success Advice3 weeks ago
Here’s Why Your Digital Marketing Efforts Fail and What to Do About It
-
Success Advice4 weeks ago
Why Diversifying Your Portfolio Can Make You More Money and How to Do It
-
Success Advice4 weeks ago
8 Quick Strategies to Boost Your Email Survey Response Rates
-
Life3 weeks ago
The Happiness Model That’ll Change Any Entrepreneurs Life
-
Success Advice3 weeks ago
Simple Secrets to Building a Profit Pumping Freelance Business
-
Entrepreneurs3 weeks ago
Why Your Business Can’t Afford to Ignore Mapping Software
-
Entrepreneurs2 weeks ago
5 Levels of Brand Visibility and How to Go to the Next Level in 2024