Success Advice
Setting Your Mind in the Right Direction: 5 Mindsets of Successful People
We all know that becoming a successful person requires changes in our daily habits, cultivation of some superior skills and learning to behave ourselves in certain ways. But the truth is, at the most basic level, our actions and behavior should be in complete harmony with our mental set-up.
So, while concentrating on personal micro-management throughout your daily routine earns you direct advantages, you can’t fully rely on that as long as you don’t “tune” your mind precisely. That’s what a mindset is. It is a set of core principles that determine how you operate and behave, struggling to find yourself a spot in the world.
Some of them might be pretty damaging, but some can create a mental environment for you to achieve your long-time goals.
Here are five of the most impactful mindsets that every successful person should equip:
1. No matter what happens, I will be ok
How many times did we create an awful mental visualization of ourselves failing before we have to take an important step? Whether it’s that compelling presentation you have to make in front of your boss or a date with a girl you admired for such a long time, we tend to envision ourselves screwing things up.
That is putting more pressure than we can imagine on ourselves by imagining negative outcomes. The truth is that you should never do that again. Never! We all know that whatever is going to happen, at the end of the day, we will live with the aftermath, bypassing it like a school bus full of screaming nasty kids on a highway. Moreover, a negative outcome is also an outcome.
I mean, how else can you learn about how to handle some situations except for mistakes you make? Why do you care that you failed the presentation, you now know exactly know what you did wrong, and you will never make that mistake again. And that girl? At least you now know that you are definitely not a match for her, way better than spending your next year trying to find that out.
2. I am one step closer
Do you have a desire to become great/famous/wealthy/successful? Imagining yourself being on Olympus clearly makes us happy. But then, life does its best to put you right back at your spot, pretty much at the bottom of the mountain.
Our natural reaction to that is to whine about the struggles and hard times that we have to go through to reach the peak. Give it enough time and you will be too exhausted to imagine yourself receiving the Nobel Prize or sailing the Atlantic on your fabulous yacht. You will just have to give it up if you concentrate on the harshness of the daily struggles you encounter.
The trick is to change the perception of the process. If the process is too tough for you, it isn’t going to get better, unless you learn to enjoy it. Set yourself smaller goals, mentally check them off once you achieve them. It will enable you to go through everything a lot easier.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
3. Do what’s important
The never-ending self-debate we run in our heads is: what is my purpose in life? Who am I? What will I be remembered for? We purposely question ourselves with stuff that can’t easily be answered. Instead of dragging ourselves into eternal philosophical speculation, try putting things into more down-to-earth terms.
We are humans. Humans do things. Some things matter; some don’t. Some are important; some aren’t. What things in my life are important? Do I focus enough effort and attention to this stuff, or I am wasting some of my precious time feeding my harmful habits? Let yourself define what exactly you should build your life around instead of searching for an abstract purpose.
4. Who cares?
We, as social creatures, tend to spend a lot of effort in building our reputation. What would they think of my new haircut? What should I say not to look awkward? We spend a lot more time worrying about our public picture than actually worrying about our character and personality.
Remember, mindset number one? Why bother yourself with people’s opinions, act like you just feel like acting. Put more risk into your daily habits, into your communication with others. Don’t be afraid to tell that old joke that you’ve been afraid to drop. Build your personality and do hard work supporting it, and you will see how your reputation is nesting around that.
“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” – Abraham Lincoln
5. Dream vividly
Do you remember your childhood dream of becoming an astronaut? Where did it go? That one was impossible, you would say. But was it? How many times in our lives have we turned down our dreams and ambitions because we could no longer identify with them as realistic? It’s time for a change! Starting from scratch, imagine the best-case scenario for yourself in 5/10/20 years.
Now double it. Set yourself a graphically impossible ambition, dream of being one step higher than the peak of the mountain. Let this ambition steer you up on your career ladder or the development of your business. Only unimaginable goals can motivate you to do unimaginable things in order to achieve your goals.
Mindset number two tells us not to dive too deeply into visualizing the outcome, but you should never give up fantasizing. You should always remember why you are here and where you are going. Feed your aspiration with an unreachable target. Just set your mind in this direction, and you will realize that it is much easier to pass through the challenges that life puts on you.
These five easy instructions will not change your life in an instant. But, tuning your mind in the given directions can create positive conditions for your growth. That is a significant step on your way to becoming a successful human being.
What mindset have you adopted to help you succeed? Leave your thoughts below!
Success Advice
Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)
The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)
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What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)
Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)
Entrepreneurs
The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025
Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
Entrepreneurs
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