In today’s issue, I’m going to share 3 very simple mindsets that you can adopt in 2023 to make more impact in less time and with fewer resources.
As many social issues grow increasingly worse, now is the best time to re-evaluate how you think about making the world a better place.
Don’t be the person that spends a career advocating for a utopian future only to realize that you are cheerleading a mirage.
Instead, embrace these 3 ways of thinking so that you’re open to all the potential of the next 365 days.
Let go of perfection
Opportunities for change materialize when you let go of the idea of a perfect solution.
It’s very easy to think there is one specific answer out there – just waiting for you to discover it – that will forever solve the problem at hand.
Just consider all the partisans who have dedicated all of last year to their idea of a silver bullet.
Universal basic income will end poverty. Housing First will eliminate homelessness. Defund The Police will stop crime.
They’re certain they have the answer.
And who knows, maybe they’re right.
But what I notice is that those with sacred cows tend to have a one-dimensional view of the problem. By completely embracing just one perspective, they’re very close-minded about new ideas and opportunities.
My goal with changemakers is to help them let go of a predetermined idea of the future and how to get there. Instead, they listen closely to contradictory perspectives of diverse stakeholders. By doing so, they’re open to the evolutionary potential of today.
Be open to failure
Letting go of perfection is just one part of the impact equation.
Another part is embracing failure.
Here’s my best advice: Only by admitting what didn’t work and why can you make better decisions in the future.
Don’t try to convince everyone that your efforts have been successful when the evidence shows otherwise. Don’t believe the hype of so-called successful initiatives that host fundraising galas with awards while the problem is getting worse.
Instead, embrace a completely different approach in your community.
- Be honest by admitting that the reason the problem persists and grows is that it hasn’t been figured out yet.
- Be transparent by agreeing that previous efforts weren’t successful or didn’t work.
- Be fallible by saying that you’re not sure what will make things better (no silver bullets and no sacred cows).
Use this kind of integrity to gain credibility and attract like-minded stakeholders. The only way to be successful is to be on a journey with a team that can admit failure.
Stay flexible
One of the best ways to make progress is to be open to opportunities as they arise.
But it’s also really difficult to stay flexible.
Most people have 5-year strategic plans, multi-year grants, or group consensus about what to do.
They’re locked in.
But the world changes. The problem changes. What works changes.
The heart of good strategy is situational adaptation.
Commit to flexibility and you’ll be ready to make progress regardless of what 2023 brings.
That’s it for today.
TLDR
- Let go of perfection.
- Embrace failure.
- Adapt.
Three mindsets that I think will be very impactful if you’re open to trying them.
See you again next week.
==
Whenever you’re ready, there are two ways I can help you:
→ I’m a strategic advisor for the toughest societal problems like poverty, crime and homelessness. People come to me when they want to stop spinning their wheels and get transformative, systems-level change.
→ I’m a coach for emerging and executive leaders in the social and public sectors who want to make progress on their biggest goals and challenges.
Let’s find out how I can help you become transformational.
