From Me to We: How growth and outward mindsets transform leadership

In the evolving landscape of leadership, two concepts have taken centre stage in the past decade: Growth Mindset and Outward Mindset. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve encountered these ideas in workshops or books. Perhaps you’ve even guided your organisation through embracing them.
But beyond the initial enthusiasm, a critical question remains: how do these mindsets work together and how can they drive lasting impact in an organisation?
As leaders, understanding the nuances of these mindsets is essential — not just as abstract ideas but as practical tools that shape the way we lead, learn and inspire our teams.
Growth and Outward Mindsets are more than motivational jargon; they are complementary forces that, when combined, create the potential for a more adaptive, resilient and collaborative culture. Yet, each mindset has its distinct role and our behaviour may shift across different situations. Recognising when and how these shifts happen is key to unlocking the potential of your people and your organisation.
Understanding the Difference: Growth Mindset vs Outward Mindset
At its core, a Growth Mindset is about self-perception. It’s the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Leaders with a growth mindset see themselves as capable of learning new skills, embracing challenges and viewing setbacks as opportunities for improvement. This growth-oriented perspective fuels innovation and adaptability within teams, inspiring leaders to push themselves and their teams beyond current capabilities.
The Outward Mindset, meanwhile, is about our perception of others. It challenges us to look beyond our own objectives and see the people around us — our colleagues, clients and communities — as individuals with their own needs, challenges and goals. It’s about shifting from a “me-first” to a “we-first” perspective. An outward mindset fosters empathy, collaboration and a genuine focus on collective success.
Both mindsets play distinct but complementary roles in the leadership toolkit. While the growth mindset drives self-improvement and adaptability, the outward mindset ensures that this growth aligns with the needs and aspirations of others. Together, they can transform how leaders approach challenges and drive meaningful change.
To illustrate how these mindsets interact, consider the Mindset Matrix (above), a tool to visualise where leaders and teams might find themselves.
While every organisation might aspire to develop leaders in the top-right — where growth and outward focus combine for collaborative growth — people naturally shift between quadrants based on the challenges they face. Recognising these shifts is essential for creating a balanced culture.
Top-Right: Collaborative growth represents the ideal: a place where leaders are constantly learning and using their growth to uplift others. Here, a team facing a tough new market can lean on each other’s strengths, solve problems collectively and emerge stronger together.
Potential pitfall: Overemphasis on collaboration may sometimes lead to over-consensus or slower decision-making. Leaders should maintain clarity on roles to avoid delays.
Top-Left: Individual growth captures those moments when leaders focus intensely on personal development, like a sales director working tirelessly to master a new technology but missing opportunities to mentor others in the process.
Potential pitfall: Without an outward focus, these leaders may miss opportunities to mentor others, fostering a competitive rather than collaborative environment.
Bottom-Right: Supportive stagnation can occur when someone is focused on helping others — like an experienced team member mentoring new hires — but doesn’t invest in their own learning, staying fixed in their ways even as the industry changes.
Potential pitfall: A lack of personal growth in this quadrant can lead to stagnation, limiting both the individual’s and team’s ability to keep up with industry changes.
Bottom-Left: Self-limited stagnation is where leaders become stuck, resisting both personal growth and support for others. This might happen when a senior manager relies on outdated methods, focusing only on hitting targets without seeing the bigger picture or considering team dynamics.
Potential pitfall: Without growth or outward focus, leaders and teams in this quadrant risk creating a stagnant, low-morale environment
While it’s natural to fluctuate between these quadrants, organisations should aim to guide their people toward the Top-Right — Collaborative Growth — as a North Star. This quadrant isn’t just about individual improvement; it’s about creating a culture where learning and empathy coexist. Here’s why this North Star matters:
1. Innovation through connection: When people feel encouraged to learn and grow, and also to share their learning with others, innovation becomes a collective effort. Collaborative growth encourages risk-taking and idea-sharing, leading to breakthroughs that are more than the sum of individual contributions.
2. Resilience in adversity: In a world of constant change, resilience is key. Leaders who embody both growth and outward mindsets are better equipped to navigate setbacks, using them as learning experiences while supporting their teams through the challenge. This creates an adaptable organisation that thrives under pressure.
3. Building a lasting culture: Cultures that focus only on personal achievement (Top-Left) can quickly become competitive and isolated. Meanwhile, a culture stuck in supportive stagnation (Bottom-Right) may feel warm and collegial but struggle to keep up with the pace of change. Collaborative growth combines the best of both worlds, creating a culture that is both high-performing and deeply human.
Getting There: Practical Steps for Navigating Toward Collaborative Growth
For leaders who are serious about mindset change, it’s not about aiming for perfection in every moment. It’s about recognising where you and your team are on the matrix and knowing how to move toward the North Star when needed. Here’s how:
Encourage self-reflection and feedback: Create a culture where team members can reflect on their mindsets and receive feedback without fear. Ask, “Where do you see yourself today, and how can you shift to focus on both your growth and the team’s success?”
Model the behaviour: Leaders must walk the talk. Show how you are working on your own development while actively supporting others. Demonstrate the balance between striving for improvement and lifting up those around you.
Celebrate collaborative wins: Recognise achievements that result from teamwork and learning together. It’s not just about who had the best individual performance, but who helped the team grow stronger.
Growth Mindset and Outward Mindset are two sides of the same coin. Understanding how they intersect — and how we can move between these quadrants — gives leaders the tools to build a culture where people don’t just work together but grow together. As leaders, aiming for that top-right quadrant isn’t just about being the best version of ourselves; it’s about creating the best version of our organisations.
And as you navigate the complexities of leadership, remember this: it’s not about never finding yourself in a fixed mindset or focused inwardly — those moments are human. It’s about knowing that the true potential of your team lies in moving toward that place where growth and collaboration meet. That’s the real power of mindset change. And that’s the future of leadership.
Chattawat Pakdee is a Senior Consultant at BTS Thailand. Over the years, he has developed over 10,000 executives and professionals across various industries. He advises organisations on embedding the mindset and processes of Design Thinking into their cultures, enabling them to reskill or upskill to overcome obstacles, which subsequently leverages organisational outcomes. His passion for learning and contextual application keeps him grounded in exploring the possibilities of human potential. Executives and those interested in connecting with him can reach out at [email protected] or connect on LinkedIn