The Mind of A Leader-Unlocking The Performance Mindset IMI Long Read

THE MIND
OF A LEADER
Unlocking the Performance Mindset
THE MIND OF A LEADER
INTRODUCTION: The Mind of a Leader

CHAPTER 1: The Agile Leader
CHAPTER 2: Unlocking the Performance Mindset: Focus
CHAPTER 3: Unlocking the Performance Mindset: Wellness
CHAPTER 4: Unlocking the Performance Mindset: Resilience
CONCLUSION: A Leader’s Mind is Viral
THE MIND OF A LEADER 00

INTRODUCTION: The Mind of a Leader
Performance Mindset As the business environment becomes ever more

competitive, disruptive and complex, future-fit leaders
are required to be agile in how they think about Introduction – 01
problems, and how they deliver solutions. To achieve
Focus this requires a holistic development approach that
Chapter 1: The Agile
links the leaders mindset to performance – it requires a
‘Performance Mindset’. Leader – 03
Wellness We define ‘performance mindset’ as ‘performing
sustainably at pace’. It points towards the ideal
Chapter 2: Unlocking
mindset of a future-fit leader and their organisation in the Performance Mindset:
an uncertain environment. Focus – 09
By developing their agility, resilience and focus,
leaders can successfully adapt to the pace of internal Chapter 3: Unlocking
and external changes. When leaders develop these the Performance Mindset:
characteristics, their teams and organisation will too. Wellness – 17
Building a culture of performance will create an
environment not overly reliant on individuals, allowing Chapter 4: Unlocking
the organisation to perform at pace over long time the Performance Mindset:
periods, remaining agile and innovative. Resilience – 20
Resilience In this month’s IMI Insights we’re going to explore
how to develop the performance mindset on a Conclusion – 24
personal level, but always with the focus of applying it
organisation-wide.
The Agile Leader

Only 10% of
THE MIND OF A LEADER managers have
mastered the level
of agility needed
for consistently
effective leadership
Bill Joiner, co-author,
Leadership Agility
Introduction – 01

Leader – 03
Focus
Resilience Chapter 2: Unlocking
• Laser-Like Focus on Wellness the Performance Mindset:
Performance • Is Physically and Mentally
Focus – 09
• Eliminates Noise and Prepared for Stress • Responsive Under Pressure
Personal Bias • Motivates and Mobilises the
• Consistent and Sustainable
• Fosters Engagement and Level of Performance Organisation
the Performance Mindset:
Creates Clear Lines of Wellness – 17
• Fosters Collaborative • Frames the Future and
Communication Relationships and Builds Shapes Reality
• Navigates Complexity Organisational Trust Chapter 4: Unlocking
• Clarifies, Engages, Responds the Performance Mindset:
• Shares Clear, Simple Visions • Clear Purpose Aligned to and Adapts Resilience – 20
for Others to Follow Personal Values • Embraces Uncertainty as a
Competitive Advantage Conclusion – 24
The Characteristics of a Performance Mindset

Agility
Introduction – 01

Leader – 03
Focus – 09
Wellness – 17
CHAPTER 1 Chapter 4: Unlocking

Resilience – 20
Conclusion – 24

The Agile Leader

Introduction – 01
To perform in the context of today’s constantly
changing business world, it is almost a given that Chapter 1: The Agile
Leader – 03
leaders must become more flexible and agile – they
need to become comfortable with discomfort. Chapter 2: Unlocking
Focus – 09
At an obvious level, digital technologies have been continual disrupters for the last two decades. The needs of employees have
shifted from wage packets to purpose, meaning that leaders have a more complicated role in managing their workforce.
Gartner (previously CEB Global) reported in 2018 that the average organisation has undergone five enterprise-wide the Performance Mindset:
changes in the past three years, and 73% expect change to accelerate. Wellness – 17
If a leader does not naturally have an agile mindset
to navigate these challenges, it can be trained, Speed, agility Chapter 4: Unlocking
leading to an increase in the organisation’s overall the Performance Mindset:
agility. Indeed, a five-year study by ChangeWise and responsiveness Resilience – 20
found that the central factor for increasing an are the keys to
organisation’s agility is the level of agility
exhibited by a company’s own leaders future success. Conclusion – 24
and leadership culture.
Anita Roddick,
Founder of The Body Shop

What’s Your Level of Leadership Agility?

Bill Joiner, co-author of Leadership Agility, proposed that there are three main levels of leadership agility: Introduction – 01
Expert, Achiever and Catalyst.
Level of Agility View of Agility in Pivotal Agility in Leading Leader – 03
Leadership Conversations Organisational Change
Expert (45%) Tactical, problem- Varying style of either asserting Focused primarily on incremental Chapter 2: Unlocking
solving orientation. opinions or holding back. Tends improvements inside existing boundaries. the Performance Mindset:
to avoid giving feedback. Focus – 09
Achiever (35%) Strategic, Assertive or accommodative with Organisation initiatives that includes
outcome some ability to compensate for external environment analysis. To gain Chapter 3: Unlocking
orientation. deficiencies in each style. buy-in from stakeholders, one-way the Performance Mindset:
Will initiate feedback. communication to soliciting input is used. Wellness – 17
Catalyst (10%) Visionary, Adept at balancing assertive and Organisation initiatives often include
facilitative accommodative styles for each developing a culture that promotes Chapter 4: Unlocking
orientation. situation. Questions underlying teamwork, participation and the Performance Mindset:
assumptions, interested in empowerment. Pro-active engagement Resilience – 20
diverse viewpoints, proactive in with diverse stakeholders.
seeking and utilising feedback.
Conclusion – 24
In his research of over 700 executives, only about 10% of leaders will ever reach the Catalyst level, although there is a
possibility for movement up the ladder. How could a leader move towards becoming a Catalyst leader of change?

How to Build an Agile Leader

Introduction – 01
Developing agility can’t be done the same
way you’d learn how to ride a bike… Chapter 1: The Agile
Leader – 03
…except that it can. Government agencies defined Chapter 2: Unlocking
as ‘agile’ resulted in: the Performance Mindset:
While it doesn’t have defined parameters like wheels, gears Focus – 09
and brakes, developing agility requires the same amount of
experimentation (and setbacks) as it does for that five-year-old Chapter 3: Unlocking
taking off the training wheels for the first time. It requires leaders the Performance Mindset:
to challenge and experiment with their own behaviours, refining Wellness – 17
53% 38% 31%

the skill all the time.
To achieve true leadership agility an individual needs to take Chapter 4: Unlocking
a holistic approach. While specific agility development can the Performance Mindset:
be delivered through coaching, mentoring, action learning increase in increase in higher customer Resilience – 20
programmes and workshops, developing an agile mindset productivity employee satisfaction satisfaction
linked to performance can be developed through three key
areas; Focus, Personal Wellbeing and Resilience. Conclusion – 24
Global Study by AT Kearney and LSE.

Introduction – 01

Leader – 03
Focus – 09

Wellness – 17
Resilience – 20
Conclusion – 24

Focusing on focus
Introduction – 01
The challenge with agility in the modern business
environment is that it could lead to over- Chapter 1: The Agile
Leader – 03
experimentation and a loss of focus. As Chris Zook
of Bain & Company said, “Growth creates complexity, Chapter 2: Unlocking
complexity stunts growth”. Focus – 09
As the environment itself becomes more complex, it’s more “If you chase two rabbits, Chapter 3: Unlocking
important than ever that leaders retain their focus on what
matters. What’s more, our own individual environment is
both will escape” Wellness – 17
becoming more and more distracting – with inboxes and phones Proverb Chapter 4: Unlocking
pinging every couple of minutes, demanding our attention.
We’ll now explore how to spot the warning signs of an unfocused Resilience – 20
organisation, how a leader decides where they should focus, and
how to direct your organisation in a focussed way.
Conclusion – 24

The unfocused company 03

Data Introduction – 01
How does this lack of focus occur needed
to track
and what does it look like? 04 progress Chapter 1: The Agile
Again, it’s complexity. This complexity produces a Meetings Leader – 03
phenomenon that Bain & Co. have defined as ‘swirl’: scheduled 02
a place where every new issue or innovation generates to update Chapter 2: Unlocking
on progress New process/
additional work simply by existing, and where no results
initiative
are produced. 07 development Focus – 09
to resolve
Follow-up
‘Swirl’ is just one element for leaders to examine whether meetings
issue Chapter 3: Unlocking
their organisation has lost focus. ‘Nodes’ – the number to review the Performance Mindset:
of points within an organisation that you need to interact
05 answers Wellness – 17
with to get something done will become higher as focus Additional
is lost; ‘Hierarchy’ – where bureaucracy generates its own requests 01 Chapter 4: Unlocking
work, and ‘Unclear Decision Roles’ – where decision rights coming the Performance Mindset:
from Issue
around critical choices are poorly defined. 06 requires Resilience – 20
meetings
It is up to the leader then to first define the resolution
Data
problem and then tackle it. needed Conclusion – 24
to answer
requests

Is your organisation focussed on the right things?

Introduction – 01
It’s a simple question – is your organisation focussed on the
right things? – that’s difficult to answer. A set of questions, Chapter 1: The Agile
developed by Bain & Co. attempts to get to the core truth: Leader – 03
Do you strive to invest enough to win in all of your product markets, all the Performance Mindset:
the regions you compete in and every division of the company? Yes No
Focus – 09
Does your product portfolio offer enough options to appeal to all types
of customers? Yes No
Is your organisation designed to provide support for all of your company’s the Performance Mindset:
processes and functions? Yes No Wellness – 17
Do you expect every function in the company to redesign its processes
to maximise internal efficiency? Yes No Chapter 4: Unlocking
Are your IT systems and applications built to enable all of your existing the Performance Mindset:
business processes? Yes No Resilience – 20
All the questions seem to hint at legitimate targets, and often whole teams of executives would nod sagely and answer Conclusion – 24
‘yes’ to each question. However, if you are reading this and answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, it’s likely your
organisation has too much complexity, resulting in a loss of focus.

The pathway to a focused

organisation Introduction – 01
The signs of an unfocussed organisation may Chapter 1: The Agile

Leader – 03
be easily spotted by an experienced leader, but
how can they refocus their organisation and put Chapter 2: Unlocking
everything back on track? the Performance Mindset:
Here are several recommendations on doing just that: Focus – 09
For Leaders the Performance Mindset:
‘The main Wellness – 17
1) Focus on decisions that move the needle
thing is to
This is more than just saying ‘don’t micromanage’. Senior leaders must be Chapter 4: Unlocking
focused on the fundamental drivers behind their business, not the latest sales keep the main the Performance Mindset:
report that showed a slight dip compared to last quarter.
thing the main Resilience – 20
Any incremental improvements, changes and decisions is the purview of the mid-
thing.’
level manager – leaders should be focused on the strategy behind the decisions Conclusion – 24
being made. Stephen R . Covey,
author of 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People

2) The Big Arrow 3) Undiscussables
Peter Bregman, author of Leading with Emotional Tensions within an organisation is Introduction – 01
Courage, describes a company as one big arrow often where performance can be
that contains lots of little arrows – projects, improved. Do two senior leaders
businesses, clients, business deals etc. The big regularly fail to collaborate? Does the
arrow is the company’s culture, strategic direction, marketing division consistently fail to
Leader – 03
core competencies and core values. produce enough leads for the sales
teams? Chapter 2: Unlocking
Of course, many of the little arrows won’t point the Performance Mindset:
in the same direction and it’s incumbent on the These are the difficult discussions Focus – 09
leader to break through the noise and reorientate often glossed over or explained away
the pieces so they are all pointing in one direction, by external factors. A genuine leader
particularly when executing strategy. will home in on these areas, find the
tension, resolve it, and get the focus
For more on executing strategy with a clear, back on the ‘Big Arrow’. Wellness – 17
strategic focus, go to www.imi.ie/insights
and download ‘The Leader’s Role in Strategy
Execution’.
Resilience – 20
Conclusion – 24

For Organisations
Introduction – 01
1) Decide where the work is done
Seems self-evident but often, particularly in large multi-nationals with several Chapter 1: The Agile
Leader – 03
locations, incorrectly directing where the work is done can cause great complexity.
For example, should each region have their own accountancy department, or should
it all be done at business level? the Performance Mindset:
Focus – 09
In this example, you’d typically need local experts to match up with local regulations, with a business team at
the top to keep reporting and best practice consistent. Everything else is superfluous.
Research consistently shows that bureaucracy creates bureaucracy the Performance Mindset:
and can easily be left unmanaged to spiral out of control; it’s up to the Wellness – 17
leader to recognise when this is happening.
Resilience – 20
Conclusion – 24

2) Delayering of legacy 3) Assign roles for critical 4) Define and reinforce

bureaucracies decisions behaviours
Introduction – 01
In institutions that have failed to Being able to evaluate decisions Complexity is often created by the senior
adapt to change, and continue to (from the strategic to the everyday leadership. For example, despite telling
do so, an initial role of a new CEO decisions that add up over time), their mid-level manager that they are Chapter 1: The Agile
might be to delayer those layers of then assign decision rights to empowered to make decisions and drive Leader – 03
hierarchy, particularly those roles that the appropriate employee can a project, they consistently over-rule
either are no longer impactful due be a powerful tool in improving them during the process. Chapter 2: Unlocking
to a changed market or have been performance. the Performance Mindset:
Or maybe they constantly ask for more
created to deal with the unnecessary
For a full explanation on how to data as a project is ongoing, delaying the
Focus – 09
bureaucracy.
organise decision-making within actual work towards the original goal.
This delayering can be tricky and your organisation, please read ‘It’s Plus, they are often held unaccountable Chapter 3: Unlocking
should be done with caution. Certain Rarely Either/Or: The Grey World for the costs these interventions the Performance Mindset:
functions may demand greater of Decision-Making’ at www.imi.ie/ produce, so they keep spending more Wellness – 17
supports than others, so each action insights. money on unnecessary initiatives.
should be taken on a case-by-case
If senior leadership doesn’t follow and
basis rather than a general policy the Performance Mindset:
around defined criterion. reinforce the behaviours they themselves
have implemented, complexity and lack Resilience – 20
of focus is inevitable.
Conclusion – 24
Source: Bain & Company, Four Paths to a Focused Organisation, Gottfredson and Mankins, 2013

Introduction – 01

Leader – 03
Focus – 09

Wellness – 17
Resilience – 20
Conclusion – 24

The busyness addiction:

Wellness is not a fad, it’s a skill Introduction – 01
The Silicon Valley start-up CEO going on a week- Chapter 1: The Agile
Leader – 03
long meditation retreat, the yoga mats in the corner
office – these are the kind of fads that spring to Chapter 2: Unlocking
mind when it comes to wellness. the Performance Mindset:
Focus – 09
However, this perception of wellness is akin to equating astrology with astronomy.
Social psychologists have found that mindfulness predicts judgement accuracy and Chapter 3: Unlocking
insight-related problem solving, and neuroscientists have found that mindfulness enhances the Performance Mindset:
cognitive flexibility. Wellness – 17
For a future-fit leader, being able to create a sustainable mindset that mitigates Chapter 4: Unlocking
against burnout whilst remaining open to new innovations is imperative if you the Performance Mindset:
want to see the same reflected throughout the organisation. Resilience – 20
In a survey of 2,000 employees, Bain & Company Conclusion – 24

found that among 33 leadership traits, the ability to
be mindfully present is the most essential of all.

Wellness and Organisational

Performance Introduction – 01
On an organisational level, even simple online Chapter 1: The Agile

Leader – 03
mindfulness programmes have shown to be a For more on Mindfulness
practical and effective way to reduce employee and how it can increase
stress, which in turn will improve performance. productivity, as well as some
helpful tips, listen to the IMI
Focus – 09
For example, research shows that workplace stress leads to an increase of Talking Leadership Podcast
almost 50% in voluntary turnover. So, if an organisation wants to keep its star with Rasmus Hougaard,
talent, an authentic mindfulness programme can help mitigate against the founder of the Potential Project Chapter 3: Unlocking
danger of them leaving and mindfulness expert.
Wellness – 17
So, meditation retreats apart, what can a leader do to improve their mindfulness
and what effect will that process have? Listen to the podcast in the link on this
page to find practical tips and techniques for the future-fit leader. Chapter 4: Unlocking
Whatever someone ,s knowledge, skills and experience, they Resilience – 20
know that none of this counts for much when they find Conclusion – 24
themselves short of energy and struggling for inspiration.’ ’
Dr. John Briffa (from his book, A Great Day at the Office)

Introduction – 01

Leader – 03
Focus – 09
CHAPTER 4
Wellness – 17
Resilience – 20
Conclusion – 24

Building Personal and Organisational Resilience

Introduction – 01
For leaders to perform in the future, they have to be prepared
for it. This is the same at organisational level and if an Leader – 03
organisation is to thrive, then its leaders must be resilient to
setbacks, change and continued stress. Chapter 2: Unlocking
Failure is a consequence of trying and, in a landscape where almost constant innovation is required, also inevitable. What is Focus – 09
not inevitable is how a leader shapes their own, and their organisation’s, reaction to failure.
There are a number of techniques and ways of thinking leaders can use to build their own and their organisation’s resilience Chapter 3: Unlocking
to reduce stress, improve resilience and improve performance. the Performance Mindset:
Wellness – 17
In a survey of 835 employees in Chapter 4: Unlocking
Britain, only 10% said they got the Performance Mindset:
Resilience – 20
resilience from their organisation
Conclusion – 24

Treat failure and success the same

Introduction – 01
Giving your employees a psychological safety net is a winning strategy
when it comes to building a sustainable culture of performance. Chapter 1: The Agile
Leader – 03
A philosophy of accepting, even rewarding ‘good’ failure, will result in three things:
Honesty – employees Innovation – employees see Less stress – employees that feel like Focus – 09
will feed accurate the value in trying and working they can try and fail are more likely to
information up the hierarchy, collaboratively on projects they try again, and not feel demotivated
allowing for the correct are excited by, not motivated and stressed when a project they have
decisions to be made. by fear to engage with. worked on doesn’t succeed.
Wellness – 17
The difficulty for the leader is, of course, what is ‘good’ failure? How can failure be quantified? Should the salesperson Chapter 4: Unlocking
who worked hard on creating a whole new market segment but failed, be rewarded over the salesperson that just worked the Performance Mindset:
through their leads and hit their target? Resilience – 20
In reality, it is up to the leader to engender a culture of innovation and Conclusion – 24

acceptance of failure through their actions and behaviours.

Treat failure and success the same

Introduction – 01
Train like the army Chapter 1: The Agile
Martin E.P. Seligman, sometimes known as the ‘father of positive psychology’, worked with the US army to develop Leader – 03
resilience training for their soldiers and used techniques that can, and have, been replicated in the business world. Asked to
create a programme for soldiers with PTSD, Martin devised an initiative that included a ‘Mental Resilience Training’ module Chapter 2: Unlocking
that had three constituent parts. the Performance Mindset:
Focus – 09
Building Mental Toughness Building Signature Strengths Building Strong Relationships
This part of the programme is, in Focussing on building strengths Once the individual has become
essence, about perspective. It focuses on can give people powerful tools to more aware of their own strengths
things like ‘thinking traps’, such as over- react against adversity. In the MRT and weaknesses, the programme Wellness – 17
generalising or judging a person’s worth programme, evaluations are used develops their ability to bring this out
or ability on the basis of a single action. to discover participants’ personal in others. Teaching techniques like Chapter 4: Unlocking
They also discuss ‘icebergs’ (deeply held strengths, and then use a group assertive communication and how
beliefs) and question whether they are setting to apply those strengths to be authentic and constructive
overpowering rational thought. They also to a specific challenge through in your feedback and advice leads Resilience – 20
challenge ‘catastrophic thinking’ and narrative storytelling. to stronger and more resilient
encourage multiple scenario planning, relationships within the team. Conclusion – 24
not just the worst case.

CONCLUSION
A leader’s mind is viral

Introduction – 01
When nature creates armour, it does not
do so with a single plank, it does so with Chapter 1: The Agile
thousands of interlocking pieces. To create Leader – 03
a true performance mindset – to perform Chapter 2: Unlocking
sustainably at pace – a leader needs to the Performance Mindset:
think in the same way, starting from within. Focus – 09
A leader that develops their agility, focus and resilience can begin to instil a Chapter 3: Unlocking
performance mindset in all their employees too. A leader that does this will the Performance Mindset:
develop an organisational culture that will sustain performance over time.
Wellness – 17
If senior leaders don’t develop their mindset to deal with the real
world as it will be tomorrow, their employees won’t either and the Chapter 4: Unlocking
overall organisation will drift into swirls of complexity. the Performance Mindset:
To succeed in the volatile corporate world doesn’t require just Resilience – 20
skill, it requires a mindset geared towards sustainably performing
at pace – it requires a performance mindset. Conclusion – 24

IMI EXECUTIVE SUITE
PROGRAMMES FOR THE FUTURE-FIT LEADER
From the external macro environment to the internal machinations of a modern organisation,
leaders must navigate a sea of complexity at every turn.
IMI Executive Series, out this Autumn, will equip leaders to deal with the storm of uncertainty
surrounding their organisations. The Executive Series consists of three new programmes:
- Mastering the Performance Mindset
- Navigating Complex Decisions
- Leading Strategy Execution
programmeadvisors@imi.ie
www.imi.ie

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THE MIND

INTRODUCTION: The Mind of a Leader

THE MIND OF A LEADER 00

Performance Mindset As the business environment becomes ever more

THE MIND OF A LEADER 01

Chapter 1: The Agile

The Characteristics of a Performance Mindset

THE MIND OF A LEADER 02

Chapter 1: The Agile

CHAPTER 1 Chapter 4: Unlocking

THE MIND OF A LEADER 03

The Agile Leader

THE MIND OF A LEADER 04

What’s Your Level of Leadership Agility?

THE MIND OF A LEADER 05

How to Build an Agile Leader

53% 38% 31%

Global Study by AT Kearney and LSE.

THE MIND OF A LEADER 06

Chapter 1: The Agile

CHAPTER 2 Chapter 3: Unlocking

THE MIND OF A LEADER 09

THE MIND OF A LEADER 10

The unfocused company 03

THE MIND OF A LEADER 11

Is your organisation focussed on the right things?

THE MIND OF A LEADER 12

The pathway to a focused

The signs of an unfocussed organisation may Chapter 1: The Agile

THE MIND OF A LEADER 13

THE MIND OF A LEADER 14

THE MIND OF A LEADER 15

2) Delayering of legacy 3) Assign roles for critical 4) Define and reinforce

THE MIND OF A LEADER 16

Chapter 1: The Agile

CHAPTER 3 Chapter 3: Unlocking

THE MIND OF A LEADER 17

The busyness addiction:

In a survey of 2,000 employees, Bain & Company Conclusion – 24

THE MIND OF A LEADER 18

Wellness and Organisational

On an organisational level, even simple online Chapter 1: The Agile

THE MIND OF A LEADER 19

Chapter 1: The Agile

THE MIND OF A LEADER 20

Building Personal and Organisational Resilience

THE MIND OF A LEADER 21

Treat failure and success the same

In reality, it is up to the leader to engender a culture of innovation and Conclusion – 24

THE MIND OF A LEADER 22

Treat failure and success the same

THE MIND OF A LEADER 23

A leader’s mind is viral

THE MIND OF A LEADER 24

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