Five Mental Blocks that

Impact Leadership

Mental models, also usually known as mental barriers or mindsets are a set of beliefs, assumptions and perceptions which we carry. These barriers sometimes result into self-limiting beliefs. Particularly, at the highest levels of performance, the obstacles that hold us back from unleashing our total potential are internal ones rather the external ones. And these internal mental blocks impacts the leadership, because our problems and shortcomings, no matter how small they may seem, have a huge influence on those depending on us for our guidance. That is the reason why identifying these mental blocks is critically so important.

Over the time, we generally fall back on certain patterns, which have proven to be effective for us in the past. It is very important to keep in mind that every new project or task needs a novel perspective.

Here are a few mental blocks which usually impact leaders and executives:

1 Always Hustling

There are leaders who pride themselves in coming office earlier, staying late and taking their work to home even on the weekends. Many executives have the work habits of being available on call 24×7 and over-volunteering for extra projects. The dedication level this way may seem impressive, but these habits cause the major burnout.

Generally, it is meant that burnout is for the weak ones. On the other hand, the truth is that burnout is actually experienced by hard-workers practicing toxic productivity. Suffering this exhaustion just not only affects your personal health and happiness, but also seriously impacts those around you.

Due to this mental block, you start thinking negatively about your job. You also get simply irritated at tiny problems and often feel misunderstood by your teammates. Some leaders even experience a decrease in overall empathy towards their employees and start getting hard on them.

2 Negative Mental Attitude

Humans have more than fifty thousand thoughts processed everyday in their brains of which more than 70% are negative. So, if you are inclined towards pessimism, you are not alone. But, pessimism is also a manifestation of bad attitude. If you see the “glass as half empty rather than half full”, then you may become a dream killer.

Employees look towards their leader for indication on how to think or view about the project at the hand. Your attitude towards any new problems creates an atmosphere for your team to react. And thus, their reaction is a reflection of your mindset.

3 Not Having Enough Hours in a Day

If you have a lot of irritating items in your to-do, it will always feel that your job is never done. Over the time, managers start overbooking their hours with long to-do lists and eventually these lists become never ending. Over-committing leads to overworking and then, actually achieving less than that you’ve planned. One of the reasons causing this situation is also that several leaders are afraid of asking for help or delegating the tasks to their employees.

4 Not Teaching What You Know

You are in charge of your team because you have the best training, experience, knowledge and skills. Many of the leaders have a mental attitude that they don’t have enough time to spare to teach their employees. If you are not teaching your team the ideals and concepts that actually guide you and not sharing what drives your thoughts and decisions with them, you are not leading effectively.

5 Not Communicating the Hard Stuff

As a leader, if you think you should just share only good news or positive feedback with you team, then you are wrong. Many executives are afraid to share bad news or offer constructive criticism which is hard to hear but essential for growth and success. If you never upset anyone and want to be everyone’s best friends, you can’t lead well.

In the end, taking on a leadership role is a powerful responsibility and need to be taken very seriously. Your stubborn mindset can decrease the productivity for yourself as well as for others around you. You need to get rid of those mental blocks and commit to your growth as a leader as well as for the success of your team and the organization.