Sunday, May 5, 2013

Digital Mindset: Five Mind-Shift to Accelerate Digital Transformation

Authentic, audacious, adaptive, aggressive when necessary—these business leaders have what we call the accelerator mindset.
Human minds are perhaps one of the most powerful but mysterious things in the universe, as they continue to imagine and invent things for changing the world; the fact is that the world now becomes more advanced, complex and dynamic than ever,  while certain types of mindset may start lag behind, to put the other way, the "crazy" mind in industrial speed becomes new normal with digital speed; while the normal mind in industrial era becomes out of dated at digital era. So, should people now accelerate the mindset shift to adapt to the change shaped by themselves? What are those open mindsets needed in the 21st century?

1.    Negative to Positive 

  •  What is positive thinking? It’s idealistic realism, also the cautious optimism, it’s the value thinking and strategic thinking; it helps you conquer the current barriers in order to embrace the brighter future; it creates the energy and synergy in pursuit of the long-term vision and growth.
  •  Positive mindset about their circumstances: Positive thinking is the high thinking capability with capacity (inward strength) and ability (outward action) to re-frame the experience of adversity. People with positive thinking convey strong will to make changes, and have a future orientation that makes them more prone to sacrifice immediate needs for future goals. And as important, they show a positive mindset about their circumstances.
  • Positive Leadership: Only positive leaders can look forward, not backward, overcome barriers and bias, breakthrough ceilings, mind gaps, and bring the positive difference mankind need to make progress and move toward the future.

2.    Fixed to Accelerated 

Fixed mindset refers to those who approach the work with fixed mindset-the assumption that their abilities were innate and not subject to change; while accelerated or growth mindset refers to those who solve problems or target the goals with growth mindset- the belief that their ability level was nothing more than a snapshot in time and eminently changeable as they continued to learn and develop..
  •  The Accelerated Mindset is the Digital Mindset: In an industrial era, fixed mindset is OK to survive as the business and the world are slow to change; however, at the age of digitalization, knowledge is only a click away, growth mindset is strategic imperative to adapt to the changes and accelerated mind is needed to continuous improvement and transformation.
  • Enforce the strength and unleash the potential: Fixed mindset sticks to the old way to do things while accelerated mindset enjoy new thinking, though it doesn't mean the talent with accelerated mindset should compete for everything, rather, it means one needs to stay focus, set discipline, enforce the strength and unleash the potential; it means to understand human’s difference and pursue uniqueness.
  • Accelerated Leadership: Authentic, audacious, adaptive, aggressive when necessary—these business leaders have what we call the accelerator mindset. 

3.    Silo to Connected 


Either business or world is transforming from siloed functions, the sum of pieces into a connected whole, thus, one’s mindset also needs to be shifted to think differently and holistically.
  • Shape the new thinking boxes: Optimize the whole, not the separate silos. Silo vision & thinking tends to hinder any efforts to systematically reduce operational complexity. Without a cross-functional, end-to-end perspective across the entire enterprise, managers tend to focus on their own functions or departments. This silo thinking is a source of process complexity.
  •  Hard-Wire Diversity into Your Business: Collective mindsets are connected and superior to any single mindset. To streamline processes and minimize costs, companies should capture collective insight, analyze all critical, cross-functional processes, connect divergent factors at business ecosystem in decision making and business strategic planning.
  • Connected Leadership: Open, insightful, innovative, and strategic, etc. those traits differentiate leaders with the connected mindset from others. 

4.    Linear to Multi-dimensional 


For most of the twentieth century, leaders led through variations of command and control with linear vision. That hierarchical, inward-focused style began to unravel at the end of the century. Still, appropriate in certain situations, it is increasingly being displaced. As linear thinking leads to closed mind, tunnel vision and blunt communication. While multi-dimensional leaders with independent thinking are needed to make an effective decision.
  • Circular Vision is perception via multi-dimensional lenses. Leaders transmit energy to the variety of people, giving them a new sense of hope and confidence in achieving the circular and colorful vision with the positive frame.
  • Multi-dimensional leaders are independent and multidimensional thinkers; they appreciate multiple values and see the world via the multidimensional lens. They are unbiased communicators, they encourage people to think differently, engage diverse viewpoints and empower talent to reach potential.

5.   Exclusive to Inclusive 

Inclusiveness is the lever. Inclusiveness is the quality of the organizational environment that maximizes and leverages the diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives of all employees. Diversity in the global context can be defined as visible and invisible differences, thinking styles, leadership style, experience, culture etc.

  • The world becomes more inclusive: At the digital era, the business functional border, the company border, and even the profession border are blurred; indeed, the world becomes more inclusive, admit of the inclusion of the wide variety of specializations under one umbrella.  
  • Inclusive leaders have the inter-disciplinary knowledge and emphatic cognizance: Always capture insight and substance, rather than look at things on the surface; always put other people’s shoes on, understand perspectives different from their own, and build networks with people outside of their organization. 
Mindset is everything. Mindset is the most valuable thing to shape every progress, but also the root cause of all mankind problems, it’s time to shift mindset: from fixed to accelerated; closed to open; linear to circular; exclusive to inclusive; silo to holistic; and reawaken your limitless mindset.



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