- Just ahead on "Leadership Lessons for Home, Work and Life," there's a huge shift in the workforce toward creating a growth mindset among our teams.

Tonight's critical conversation brings a discussion and advice on the issue from some of Central Illinois's great leaders and it all starts right now.

(relaxed ensemble music) Good evening, thanks so much for joining us.

I'm Amy Burkett.

Tonight's conversation is one that's near and dear to my heart.

Do you have a growth mindset?

If you're not sure exactly what that is, it's simple.

Do you believe you can get better through learning new things and through hard work?

My answer is a definite yes.

I've invested over three decades in continuous improvement and growth.

I love learning new things and seeing the positive effects that come from that.

Thinking and acting differently will get us ahead.

A fixed mindset thrives on phrases like "I can't" or "I just don't have what it takes, "I'm not able to improve."

You've probably heard the phrase "If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you've always gotten."

That's the opposite of having a growth mindset.

Let's meet our panelists and dig into how we can develop a growth mindset in our organizations.

Dr. Brinda Mehta of UICOMP and OSF Children's Hospital.

Next we have Renee Charles, the Director of Communications at RLI.

Next, Margaret Hanly Williams, President, A. Lucas & Sons and the Peoria Honor Flight and Mike Stubbs is the Director of Peoria NEXT Innovation Center and LaKeisha Faggett is Service Capability and Training Manager at Caterpillar.

What an amazing group of professionals we have today.

Let's talk about it and see if we can begin with you, Dr. Mehta.

How do you define a growth mindset?

'Cause everybody has a different interpretation of it.

- Yeah, so for a growth mindset, it's like what you had eloquently said.

It's not wanting to be stagnant, it's wanting to grow and that's so important for somebody's personal growth and personal like persona and also most importantly, when you're working for a company.

So for me, the growth mindset is just about not wanting to be stationery, moving with ahead to make yourself better and moving with the times.

Also to bring up the company, the division, the group, the family that you could be a part of.

So for me, that's a growth mindset.

- Renee, what makes having a growth mindset a little challenging sometimes?

- Well sometimes people are afraid to fail and so if you're putting yourself out there in that growth mindset, you're always learning.

It's that continuous learning and continuous growth and sometimes you don't know everything that you don't know.

So that fear of failure can make it a little more difficult to be open-minded and really put yourself out there to learn and grow on a regular basis.

- Margaret, what do you see as a challenge of the growth mindset?

- I think the challenge of the growth mindset is being able to expand your mind, to learn new things, to open yourself up to failure, like Renee said.

That is one of the scariest challenges to the growth mindset and recognizing that there's gonna be stumbling blocks along the way but you're going to overcome them and become better at the end.

- Mike, let's talk a little bit about the fact, previous panelists have talked about the potential for failure.

If we don't fail, we aren't trying anything big enough.

But there's such a stigma behind what I've often referred to as that dirty F word, failure.

Talk to us a little bit how to help people get past that fear of failure so that they really can focus on a growth mindset.

- Yeah, so I think when you're starting a company, so being the Director of the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center, I work with a lot of startups and so there, there's kind of a common term of fail fast, right?

You learn so much from that failure and getting that first failure gives you a better understanding quicker of what went wrong and how can you actually fix it and those are areas in which if you can identify a problem, you can identify a solution and a way forward and that's kind of how you differentiate yourself between other competitors.

- So good, LaKeisha, your turn to talk to us.

Just your perspective on that growth mindset and while you may have it for yourself, how do we help our teams develop it?

- Yeah, great question.

I think it's important to understand where your team is and be able to take everyone on that journey.

I have a small team that I lead of about five to six people and everyone has a history of what we're working on from a strategic standpoint.

So what I find that is important is one, to understand where everyone is, what they kind of come to the table with and be able to walk them through the importance of that change, meet them where they are but also take them on that journey because everyone gets there at different points and as a leader, it's important that you walk with empathy, walk with servant leadership and take everyone through that journey 'cause you're going through the journey as well.

So I think that's important to understand.

- Thanks so much.

I'm gonna jump over to you Margaret for a minute.

Let's talk about when you lead an organization and the buck stops with you.

A lot of it, we have to demonstrate what having a growth mindset is.

How do you demonstrate that for your team?

- I think for me personally, leading my organization in its 166th year.

- [Amy] Congratulations.

- Thank you very much.

A lot of that is holding the mirror up, recognizing that I'm not perfect and when other people see that here's the leader of my organization admitting to failures, admitting to mistakes, then they're much more prone to be involved in a process where they're not afraid of failure either and I think the more that you show people the mirror is being held up right in front of my own face, they're willing to do it to themselves and that is how organizations grow really great people.

- So good.

Dr. Mehta, talk to us a little bit, within a healthcare situation, do you see any differences?

Because you truly are dealing in life and death, so we don't want too many failures that could- - Yeah.

- Cause harm to our our patients.

- Yeah, so you're absolutely right and I think the kind of failures to grow, what everybody has been talking about is what we have systems in place where we have to openly address like if there was an issue with something and then address with the team member or the entire team and we say that this is a culture for growth.

So let's not shove the issue under the table.

Let's say okay, here's an area for improvement that this thing then happened this day or a patient got seen late or for example, let's figure out what is it that we can do better?

Is it a systems problem?

Most of the times, it's a systems problem.

So we're not blaming it and that I think really helps with a positive culture growth 'cause we're saying yes, this happened but we know we're talking about it because there's a way for us to improve.

I can improve, you can improve, let's look at it together.

So fortunately in healthcare systems, there are these very good mechanisms to help leaders.

'Cause I was born with the will to lead but there's fortunate inherent mechanisms for us to address these sort of failure mechanisms and then address with the whole team and grow.

So I think everybody takes it really well and wants to work on the next best step, yeah.

- Thanks so much.

Renee, I want to ask you because you're Director of Communications, you've got a background in television, communications I think is sometimes so underappreciated.

People think it's just talking but communications are so critical to how our teams perceive not only us but that ability to grab onto a culture of growth.

Talk to us a little bit about how you deal with it from a communications standpoint.

- Well communications is so many things but at the root of it, it's creating a relationship with the person with whom you're talking to.

So as a leader, if you have that open communication with someone, you can create that relationship and there's this mutual trust.

So if you're creating that growth mindset and trying to get someone to get out of that box and to think differently or change their mindset, you have to have that trust and that relationship between each other which comes with that open communication.

So communication is at the root of I think all leadership but that trust and relationship-building is what's going to help you as a leader to kind of teach your team and bring out the best of them.

Because if they trust you, then they're going to come to you for the advice and kind of take your leadership as a good thing.

- Mike, let's talk a little bit about what would you say your secret sauce is, that one ingredient that helps you encourage that growth mindset with your team?

- Yeah, I think for me, it's just constant learning, right?

And wanting to know more and I think the overall input of people and their experiences gives you a better understanding of all the different potential outputs, right?

All the different potential ways to solve a problem and I think in general, the secret sauce is trying to let everybody at the table understand that no matter where they fit in within an organization, if they have something of input, of value to the benefit of the team, it's really just kind of letting people understand that it's okay to provide that information regardless of where they are in that organizational chart.

- I want to go and give each of you an opportunity to answer this next question.

If you could share one thing that is a pitfall that prevents a growth mindset, so I'm giving you all a little chance to think about it but Renee, that makes you first.

So what's the one thing that can be a pitfall that can prevent a growth mindset that we want to be aware of and we want to try our best not to do it?

- If you're focused so much on the outcome and the perfect package of whatever you're creating, that can sometimes hold you back.

- LaKeisha next.

- Yeah, I would say one of the pitfalls is not holding everyone accountable for that growth mindset.

So again, when we think about our team environment, as I mentioned, everyone's on a journey but you do have to have checks and balances in place and you also have to have accountability for eventually changing to that growth mindset.

So I think that's one of the challenges.

If we allow some to move towards that change and others don't, that could be a pitfall as well.

- Dr. Mehta?

- For me, I think not giving people the opportunity or a way to communicate directly with the leader or having that avenue I think is one of the ways because then they feel like they are not an important stakeholder and what they say may not matter.

So it's similar to what you had mentioned.

So for me, it's that.

I think they need to have an avenue to be able to communicate with the leader so they feel like they're vested and they're being listened to.

- Yeah, Mike, I think it's your turn.

Did you have a turn?

- Yeah.

I really like accountability but I think the other one is the idea or answer that we've never done it that way before, right?

There's always a new- - So good.

- View of the same problem and so just kind of keeping away from that answer and if you feel like that's the answer that feels like it should come out, then maybe it's a good time to reassess what you're looking at.

- I think Margaret, that leaves you with the last word on this.

- I think it's important to listen, to listen to what people are trying to tell you.

Nobody is perfect and I think when you've been in a job for a certain length of time, you are comfortable and you know you're good at it and that tends to close your ears to what's really happening around you and you have to be willing to listen to what the advice of others is because that is how you're going to move to your next goal also.

- So goals is to move organizations forward and there's always challenges because I know each of us has people on our teams who are just so focused on growth and then let's be honest, there's always at least one who might not be focused on growth.

How do we help that one employee get on the growth bus?

Dr. Mehta, let's start with you.

- All right, so for this one, I think it's a little bit of what I do is use a lot of like storytelling, positive storytelling because sometimes I think the problem with that individual, maybe they don't believe in themselves or they don't realize what they bring to the table and just to make them realize that they are so important.

Bring up positive experiences from the past, saying "This is what you did and I loved it.

I don't think you know, maybe people didn't tell you but you were really good at this and this is why I think this particular job, what we're asking of you, I think you're gonna be excellent and I know you can do it."

And I think that giving them that positive reinforcement, making them believe in themselves that they can has at least for me helped me with individuals 'cause most of the time, they're like "Oh wow, they actually believe in me."

So yeah, that helps.

- Renee, what is the technique that helps you encourage, motivate an employee who might be a little reluctant?

- Well, it's all about changing their mindset about how they see themselves because if you're looking at a fixed mindset versus that growth mindset, that's internal.

So working with that person and building off of what Dr. Mehta said, reminding them of what their abilities are, reminding them that you have seen these opportunities for growth.

Letting them know that they may not be able to do this yet.

So changing the way you talk with them, changing the way you work with them can help them to see a difference maybe in themselves.

- Margaret, what would you add to the conversation?

- I think you need to be able to relate to people on a very personal level.

At the end of the day, we're all just people here together trying to get to the next day and I think a lot of people think well, you're so good at this and you're good at that and I'm not good at anything.

You have to show people, like Dr. Mehta said, that they have the ability to be great at something because we all have it in us.

It just hasn't been cultivated in the right way and as a leader, it's your job to pull that out of people.

- Mike, what's your strategy for helping folks bond with the growth mindset?

- Yeah, I think because it's a mindset, right?

Everybody has to know that they're capable of doing it.

That they're not stuck in the rut of like this is the very specific thing.

So in general, not allowing, if there's a group meeting, having an understanding that everybody coming in there is committed, right?

To do at least some action out of that meeting and so really kind of sharing what you're able to do and what you're able to provide within a short period of time and really commit to the group in that instance.

So it's really just those deliverables and that accountability of even just at the table of saying what's the little step you can do towards this overall goal?

If you keep doing that, it can provide the incentive and habit to continue and move things forward.

- LaKeisha, you get the last word on this subject, bringing people along who might be a little reluctant to go for that growth mindset.

- Yeah, I would summarize it into three different tactics that I've used and am still using and learning today.

I think it's important, one, to start with the why.

We talk a lot, at least at my company at Caterpillar about change management and again, going back to that journey that everyone's on, being able to communicate the why to why you're changing something or why you're asking people to shift is very important.

The second thing is, I think we've talked about it a little bit here but people have to be able to see themselves as part of that change.

Not only that they're capable but that they see themselves as part of that strategy or whatever initiative that you're trying to change to.

So I think that's important.

That goes back to communicating and then sharing the vision.

But then I think the third point is recognizing when you start to see that shift because again, going back to what Mike is saying, it's that mental change.

We all are bringing different elements to work but when you see that shift happen in your employee or in your team, being able to recognize that in any way that's appropriate for that employee I think is important as well.

- So good, well research conducted by Microsoft shows a growth mindset drives business by encouraging creativity and innovation, focusing on outcomes, not stumbling blocks, building a team environment with a unified goal, stopping the fear of failure, eliminating the pitfalls of perfection seekers and encouraging team ownership.

So let's get back to our panelists and talk about it.

When we talk about the pitfalls and team ownership, I want to go to that team ownership concept.

What have you seen?

Because many times, employees will be like "Well it's not my job, I'm not the boss.

I don't own this, the boss owns this."

And let's start with you, Mike.

How do we handle this?

- It really is that buy-in initially, right?

Overall you might have a goal and there is an accountability at the top but in general to get there, it is a team and so if the team hasn't found to trust each other and hasn't found buy-in of that overall mission, then that's really kind of a stumbling block that will continue and continue.

So kind of resetting, getting people to provide their input on why or why not they might not have the same kind of vision but allowing people to feel heard.

You don't have to have a consensus decision but really making sure that everybody is there at the table that feel like okay, I provided my input and the decision was made knowing that input.

They might not have gone with me this time but next time maybe, right?

And I am part of this team and now I'm committed to the decision that was made.

- Margaret, let's talk about it.

You know you sit at the top of the organization and there are always people who will say "Eh, it's Margaret's job.

I don't have ownership in this."

How do you handle that?

- That's a tough one when you have people fighting you on that.

At the end of the day, I'm not getting anywhere without everyone on my team.

Whether it's simple things like I make a point of taking the garbage out myself and I walk through a shop where every single person sees me doing that and when they see that I'm willing to do all the things that they're doing also, then there's a lot more buy-in and a lot more opportunity for us to keep growing and keep changing and moving forward.

I've seen a lot of things change in my industry, especially I think being a female in a male-dominated industry where everyone in my workplace is male and just the fact that I am their boss, that was a big change for them and I had to be willing to recognize that it was going to be a very slow process and I think as a leader, you want it to happen overnight but you have to be aware that it is going to be a slow process.

But what you get at the end is so meaningful and beneficial to the whole organization.

- LaKeisha, I want to talk to you a little bit.

I'd love to hear, how do you personally stay focused on growth?

Do you have a strategy or two?

How do you know when you're getting kinda stuck and you need to mix it up?

- I would say a few things, so I am intrigued by great things that are happening not just in my work area but that's happening across other work areas.

So for me, it's always reaching out.

I do that internally within my job.

I have a coalition of other leaders that I reach out to and I find out what they're working on, new ideas that they may be starting out with their team.

So that's one of the ways that I get out and I get best practices.

But I get a chance to also share and relate to other teams that may have something that they're going on from a growth mindset.

So I would say that's something personally that I do just to learn and keep learning is to understand what other new things that are happening but to bring those new ideas into my team environment.

- Renee, I want to build off that a little bit.

Is there a go-to resource that you've found that you just want to shake things up a little bit, you go here?

- I made a commitment to myself just a couple years ago that I need to continue learning, continue education.

Went back and received my Masters just recently.

Making a commitment to doing a webinar at least once a month on learning a a new skill.

But I would say one of the places that I go to regularly is LinkedIn Learning.

Go there and find, what do I want to learn about today?

Or what am I stuck on a project?

I'm stuck on figuring out the strategy for this or I'm stuck on figuring out a new digital communication platform.

Go to one of these social media outlets that have these learning capabilities and I've found that the LinkedIn Learning has been great to help me understand something completely different or completely new that I may not have had the experience of before.

- So good, Dr. Mehta, what is your go-to?

- For me, my go-to is I'm relatively sort of younger in the division, in the leadership.

My go-to I've figured out is there are very smart people around me who've been doing this for a long time and they have always had excellent words for me.

Whenever I struggle, I say "How did you solve this problem?"

And they're internal sort of mentors, leaders, external mentors that I've gone to.

For me, they are the go-to.

Like I go to some people, seasoned people with lot of good advice that can help me and that can motivate even other people in my division.

So that has been sort of my shortcut but a good one because they're reliable sources.

- Such a great one.

Okay, before we run out of time, I want to give each of you sort of closing thoughts.

What are we missing, what haven't we shared yet?

What one great piece of advice do you want our audience to have?

And we're gonna begin with you, LaKeisha.

- Well, I would just share that I think it's important that we're having this conversation because I think over the last few years, we've all learned the need and the ability to pivot and to be flexible and personal in the professional world.

So I think it's important that we all take on some aspect of a growth mindset but also remember that it's a journey, it's a marathon in some cases.

While you may be accountable and you want to get to that goal, you want to achieve those results, sometimes it is a marathon and I think also too it's important as leaders to remember, sometimes you may start that journey of a growth mindset but it may be someone else that continues on that journey.

So again, I think those are things that I try to remember as I lead my team and I'm learning, that it may start with me but someone else may continue on with the torch and that's just as important because then you have the responsibility of laying the foundation for someone else as well.

- Your turn, Mike.

- I think in general right now, as we've been talking about, there's LinkedIn Learning, there's YouTube, there's all these different things and so when I talk to small business owners, when you start a company, not only is it the product that you're trying to develop but you have marketing and sales and legal and a website and all these other things where the first step is to tell people, "Here's my problem, right?

Is there a way, do you have somebody in your network or do you know in general from a skillset if you can help me?"

But the other side is just Googling it, right?

And figuring out and finding a video and being like okay, I think I can actually do that.

Here's a roadmap of where I can try to help myself and continue to grow and once you start doing that and you do other things and other things outside of your bubble, it almost becomes that mindset of really having the feeling to be empowered to try to do things and then once you get to that level, it's like yeah, I can't do that.

Then it's like okay, we'll find somebody who can help me but being comfortable with showing I need some help.

- Okay, time is passing too quickly.

Margaret, We need a short answer.

- I didn't start my career as a leader.

I had people help me along the way and that is one of the things to recognize, that you have an obligation to help the younger people in your organization get to the point where you are at now.

- Renee, your advice?

- I would say remain self-aware.

Make sure that you understand where you are.

Are you changing the way you want to change and growing the way you want your team to do it?

Because you have to be the one that they can reflect upon.

- So good.

Dr. Mehta, you get the last word.

- For me, I think it's just knowing that everybody has very good ideas and giving them the opportunity and if everybody feels like they have a say in the matter, then it really helps in a positive growth mindset.

- Thank you so much to each of you for your great advice.

I learned some new strategies and I hope you did too.

Our success on the job and in life depends on our ability to successfully keep a growth mindset.

Thanks to all of our panelists and thank you for tuning in this evening, we appreciate it.

Advice from Microsoft's research on growth mindset suggests by nurturing innovation in individuals, by encouraging risk-taking, you'll power all the possibilities and reset your business clock to ready, set, grow.

That's all the time we have this evening.

You won't want to miss next week's show as we dig into tips to help become better problem-solvers.

I hope to see you then.

Thanks so much for joining us tonight, goodnight my friends.

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