The Unadvertised Version of Leadership: Mindsets

Leadership in 180 Seconds: Lessons I have learnt as a leader that few talk about

The unadvertised side of leadership? Your mindset shapes your influence more than you think. Discover how a simple shift—from I can’t to How could I?—can turn roadblocks into breakthroughs. Learn from Bertha’s bold journey and see how growth thinking can transform your leadership and legacy.

Reflection Question
When faced with a challenge, what’s the first story you tell yourself—and how would that story change if you applied a growth mindset instead?

• Transcript

  One of the unadvertised parts of leadership is that so much of your effectiveness comes down to what happens inside your own head. It’s not just about strategy, skills, or decision-making—it’s about the stories you tell yourself and the mindset you choose to bring into every situation.

  I’ve often heard people say, “I’m terrible with names.” But I’ve long believed that whether we’re “good” or “bad” at something often starts with what we tell ourselves.

  Personally, I tell myself I’m good with names—and over time, others have confirmed it. Why? Because my mindset primes my brain to notice, remember, and recall.

  Names are just one example. In leadership, the stories we tell ourselves about our own ability—whether in creativity, strategic thinking, conflict management, or innovation—have a direct impact on our performance.

  This is the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.
  A fixed mindset says, “I can’t do this.”
  A growth mindset asks, “What would it take for me to learn this?”

  When we lock ourselves into fixed thinking, we shut down curiosity, creativity, and progress. But when we step into a growth mindset, we look at challenges as opportunities to stretch, resource ourselves, and discover new ways forward.

  One story that illustrates this well is the story of Karl and Bertha. Karl, a brilliant inventor, had developed an automobile but had become discouraged, convinced it would amount to nothing. His wife, Bertha, saw the potential—and the obstacles.

  So, on the 5 August 1888, without telling Karl, Bertha took their two sons and drove 104 kilometres to her mother’s home. This had never been done before in an automobile. Along the way, she dealt with numerous setbacks: running out of fuel, making roadside repairs, and even negotiating with locals to get the parts she needed.

  When she returned a few days later, the local press was waiting. Her bold journey not only proved that long-distance personal travel was possible—it laid the foundation for the company we now know as Mercedes-Benz.

  Bertha’s success wasn’t just about skill—it was about mindset. She refused to see the roadblocks as reasons to stop; instead, she saw them as problems to solve.

  As leaders, we face our own “Bertha moments” all the time. The question is: when something says, “You can’t do this,”do you accept it—or do you ask, “What would a growth mindset do here?”