Mindset eats talent for breakfast. And if you are leading a team through a period of change, guess what? You are a Mindset Super-Spreader.
That's great because a fascinating line of research suggests that a few simple wording changes can do wonders for transforming mindsets.
Imagine this: You're sitting at your desk today chipping away at a heavier-than-usual workload, thanks to all the changes going on inside your company. You feel your heart beating a little faster than normal and you notice your knee bouncing up and down. How would you describe your feeling?
You might label it "stressed." If you do, the language processing part of your brain will instantly start grabbing and gluing together all the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells that might fit your mental category labeled "Stress."
Now, thanks to your stress-primed brain, that slight scowl and raised brow on the face of your teammate—which could express sincere curiosity and engagement—looks more like a sign of anger or disapproval.
Little by little, one dark interpretation at a time, the world around you starts to look more stressful and fearful. Which makes you more risk-averse, more skeptical of new ideas, and less likely to notice chance insights and hidden opportunities. So your performance starts slipping. What began as a misinterpreted sign of stress has become a legitimate cause for concern.
But here's the cool thing: You are 100% free to label emotions any way you choose. You can decide to flip the script whenever you want.
Unlike objective realities such as height or eye color or sales numbers, emotions are nothing more than our best-guess, subjective interpretations of what these bodily sensations might mean in this situation. There is no "right" answer.
When you notice a quickening heartbeat and a bouncing knee while you're engaged in focused work, it doesn't automatically mean "stressed." It can also mean "excited" or "motivated" or "determined" or "eager." If you give it one of those labels, you'll start noticing sights and sounds that seem more interesting and worthy of exploring. You might get this creeping suspicion that an insight is on the way and a win is coming.
What we're discovering is that the labels you choose have a ripple effect on your future. Your words don't just name your emotions. Your words shape your mindset.
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The research comes mostly from Kristen Lindquist at THE Ohio State University and her "Conceptual Act Theory." If you really want to geek out about the neuroscience, check out The Label Feedback Hypothesis from Gary Lupyan at the University of Wisconsin.
