What Have You Changed Your Mind About?

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

What have you changed your mind about in the last two years (about the workforce, about nursing, about the healthcare environment)? It is a question that I usually ask during coaching workshops. The question is designed to get leaders to reflect on leadership opinions or ideas that they have changed their thinking about. It is designed to make a point about why leaders should always work to have a growth mindset. Dr. Carol Dweck, a researcher, and professor at Stanford University has been a pioneer in studying how transformative a growth mindset can be for individuals and overall well-being.

A mindset, according to Dweck, is a self-perception or “self-theory” that people hold about themselves or their environment. Mindsets can either be growth-oriented or fixed. Using a growth mindset, leaders believe that they do need to continually evolve in their thinking as their environment changes. In contrast, when a leader has a fixed mindset, they may cling to old sacred cows and the “good old days.” They are less willing to adopt new changes or open themselves to different perspectives because they could be threatening.

The following are some of the answers that nurse leaders have given to me during these workshops:

I have changed my mind about work-life balance – it is not possible. I now look for a way to integrate my work and life together.
I have changed my mind about organizational loyalty. I used to be critical of staff who were not loyal but when I look at what has happened in my organization in the last year – why should they be loyal?
I have changed my mind about Millennials and their work ethic. For years, I believed they lacked the work ethic of baby boomers but I now realize that we baby boomers were nuts in how hard we worked.
I have changed my mind about the impact of who is in the senior leadership role. We had a CEO who was pretty command and control. Our new CEO is empowering. What a difference in just six months.
I have changed my mind about the turnover in my Med-Surg unit. I used to think that it was a negative reflection on me. I now know that I am a great coach and my staff moves on to better positions in the organization.
I have changed my mind about taking time off. For years, I never used much vacation but then I got sick – I had worked myself to death.
I have changed my mind about wanting to be liked as a leader. Now I just want to be respected.
I have changed my mind about health system mergers. I used to think it would be easier than it actually is.
I have changed my mind about stress and burnout. I used to think that staff who were burned out just needed to toughen up. Now I realize how damaging stress is.
I have changed my mind about accomodating the needs of staff. I used to have a firm rule that once the schedule is posted – that is it. Now I realize I won’t have staff if I don’t accommodate more requests.

I would urge you to take the time to jot down at least three things that you have changed your mind about in the last two years. Leadership is after all a journey and one in which there are many opportunities to question what you have always believed.

Read Rose Sherman’s new book available now – The Nurse Leader Coach: Become the Boss No One Wants to Leave

Read to Lead

Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Penguin Publishers.