I had the opportunity to live in three countries and two continents, both developed and developing, and the differences between the countries could not be taken for granted.
I must admit that if I didnโt have the opportunity to experience the different worlds, I would not be where I am today. In the two African countries I lived in, there were distinct differences. One was a comfortable and stable country, whilst the other was going through economic turmoil.
What is interesting about them was that the latter, despite the situation, its people had the most positive attitude, worked harder and found solutions for survival. The comfortable and stable country remained in a Fixed mindset of complacency and didnโt explore opportunities for growth and sustainability. Education was free, food was provided for, the old received a pension, and everyone looked at the government as the sole provider. What I am trying to demonstrate here is that mindsets are also a result of our environment, comfort breeds Fixed mindsets.
When I returned home after college, my first interview was with a bank, and one of the questions I was asked was what I think banks should do differently to offer fast and efficient service. I didnโt hesitate to say, โIntroduce drive-through ATMsโ. Everyone in the room laughed at me and looked at me as if I had lost my marbles. Fast forward to today, there are few drive-through ATMs in Africa. Outside of Africa, this setup is common and quite convenient, the same way we buy food from drive-thru fast-food joints. Perhaps Africa predicted that cash would be phased out and virtual money introduced instead. But I am still convinced that drive-thru ATMs didnโt make it here, because we could not fathom the idea of money being cashed from the comfort of oneโs car. We are comfortable with long queues that extend around the corner of a building.
The exposure in the different countries taught me not to take anything or any situation for granted, and to fully absorb every experience I encounter. The characters I met helped me appreciate diversity and that it ignites quantum leaps. I gained humility, became resilient, self-reliant, tolerant, and selfless in the few years that I spent in different countries, and I attribute some of my successes to the exposure.
When COVID-19 occurred, no one was ever ready for the big shift. Especially because almost everything changed overnight, and we needed to unlearn and learn new ways of working, interacting, socialising and traveling or lack thereof. Fast forward to post-COVID, we have reverted to our old ways, even though we realised some benefits and efficiencies during the pandemic.
During the lockdowns, some people even said they saved a lot of money. But one wonders why the savings culture did not continue, since we acknowledged that it made a difference in our lives. One might just say we are true victims of our own doing, we dig our own holes and then we cry foul at life. Dr. Dweck stated that, our conscious and unconscious thoughts affect us, and that a simple word can have a powerful impact on our ability to improve. A word as simple as โNoโ can have a bearing on our success, and we should always be mindful of how we use the word. โNo, I didnโt look at that reportโ, signals how we choose what is important or not and can determine the direction which your career will take.
I believe that if we all get to know that a Growth mindset attracts a lot of great opportunities and brings a new lease to life, then we would not hesitate to give the shift a chance. Growth comes with effort and specific desires to transition, and it is not something we can expect to happen overnight. Be curious, and ask big, open questions which encourage those around you to share their thoughts and gives you the opportunity to learn.
Also, practice listening. Show your interest in others by listening to them instead of always wanting to be heard. It is small steps with big results that can liberate one from their current situation, and once you experience the transition and the results, you will want to look for more growth opportunities. Successful leaders are always looking for other ways of improving their lives and the lives of other people. It never ends with one change; it is so addictive that you would want to always be thinking about innovative ways of doing things.
