Life, work, & leadership are full of challenges that are out of our control. And while we don’t always have control over the circumstances in our work & life, we do have control over how we choose to look at those circumstances (i.e. our thoughts). It is our thoughts that ultimately create our results & drive our success (or lack thereof). Your mindset can be your biggest ally or your worst enemy as a leader. And your mindset is a CHOICE.

So just because we get to choose our mindset, that doesn’t mean it is easier. But let’s make it easier with the help of a powerful, practical, proven super tool: The Thought Model.

The Thought Model, derived from cognitive behavioral psychology, teaches us that we have circumstances, in our life & in our work, that are out of our control. And it is our thoughts about those circumstances that drive the way in which we feel, which drive the actions we take, which ultimately drive our results.

So if you don’t like the results you’re getting in your work or in your life, you need to pull it back to your thoughts.

If you don’t like the way you feel about a circumstance, you need to pull it back to your thoughts. How are you looking at that situation? What’s your perspective? How else could you look at that situation? What would happen if you chose to look at it differently?

When I coach my clients & I find that they are in a stuck perspective, I tell them to imagine they are in a house & looking through a window. If they don’t like the view from that window, they don’t need to keep looking out of it. Take a step back & realize that you are in a house with tons of other windows. Try looking out a different window (i.e. choose a different perspective) & see what the view looks like from there.

CULTIVATE A LEADERSHIP MINDSET:

Hear me talk about The Thought Model & Cultivating a Leadership Mindset on the Welcome to Eloma Podcast with Kiley Peters.

The Thought Model is the absolute best framework to help you get clear on what your perspectives (thoughts) on a situation are, so you can then choose different thoughts in order to create the feelings, actions, & results that you want. Here’s how to use The Thought Model to choose your mindset & maximize your results:

Step #1: Become Aware of your Feelings

When I don’t love the way I feel about a circumstance, that is a signal that I should do a Thought Model. This is a framework you can, & should, use daily to be proactive with your mindset & results, however, I also let my feelings be the trigger warning that I need to take a step back & do a Thought Model. This does require you to actually FEEL your feelings (check out this framework to make sure you’re feeling your feelings)!

For example, let’s say I don’t love the way I’m feeling, & I take a step back & realize I am feeling anxious & nervous about a conversation I am going to have with my coworker. I would fill out those sections of The Thought Model:

Step #2: Understand the Thoughts that are causing your Feelings

Once I feel & name my feelings, I then pull it back to my thoughts. What are the thoughts that I am having that are causing me to feel this way? In this conversation, I am going to provide some less than stellar feedback to my coworker, & the thoughts I am having are that my coworker is going to get angry & hate me. Those are the thoughts that are causing me to feel anxious & nervous about this situation. Then I fill out that portion of The Thought Model:

The possible actions I might take from having these thoughts & feelings? Well, maybe I decide not to have the conversation at all, & the results are that nothing changes & this coworker continues to not do what they are supposed to do.

Womp womp. This is not ideal – this does not create the results that I want. So then I go to Step #3!

Step #3: Get Curious & try on a Different Thought

Now I get curious & see what other perspectives & thoughts I could have regarding this exact same circumstance. What is another window I could look out of? As an example, I try on these different thoughts, which lead to totally different feelings, actions & results:

This step is all about getting curious, & at the core of curiosity are questions. When we are curious, we ask questions. Here are some questions I love to ask at this step to get my mind turning & trying on new perspectives.

Step #4: Make a Choice & Take Action

There are so many different thoughts you can try on & choose to have regarding a circumstance. Each one will lead to different feelings, actions, & results. Try on a few! Work through several different Thought Models! Then, decide which Thought Model will get you the results YOU want. Which one will serve you best? Choose those thoughts & take action!

SEE THE THOUGHT MODEL IN ACTION:

Click this video to hear more from me on The Thought Model & to go through an example of how to use it!

The Thought Model is so powerful – it’s the first tool we teach in our 1:1 Leadership Coaching Program, an integral element of our Level Up Club Team Coaching Program, AND one of our most popular team workshops. No joke - you can use this framework daily to shift your mindset & face any challenge or circumstance that comes your way with confidence & ease. Get ready to level up & become the leader you want to be!

If you want to dive deeper & learn how to master The Thought Model, master your mindset, & maximize your results – let's talk! 1:1 Coaching may be the perfect thing for you. If you want to help your entire team level up their mindset with The Thought Model – l et’s talk! A workshop or team coaching program could be just the thing ya’ll need!

Remember: You are not always in control of the circumstances in your work or in your life. You are, however, always in control of the thoughts & perspectives you CHOOSE to have. There are 1 million ways to look at every situation. You have the power to choose how you want to look at it, so choose a perspective that serves you!

Leader – you rock. In every way. Get out there! Choose your mindset! Maximize your results! And help your team to do the same (YES – SEND THEM THIS ARTICLE & USE THE THOUGHT MODEL WITH THEM!).

Pssst...I LOVE connecting with & growing my community! Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn - see you there! 🤗

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