Should You Keep the Leadership Beliefs You Inherited?
Examine the Assumptions You Absorbed from Mentors, Mistakes, and Early Experiences: Part 2 of 5 in Our Mindset Audit
TLDR:
Core leadership beliefs form through experience, role models, and formative events
These beliefs operate unconsciously but powerfully shape decisions
What once helped you may now limit you in new leadership contexts
Understanding where beliefs come from helps you evolve them consciously
Welcome to Day 2
Yesterday, you explored the mental models shaping your thinking. Today, we’re diving deeper into something even more fundamental: the core beliefs that drive those thought patterns.
These beliefs may feel like absolute truth, but they’re actually learned perspectives shaped by your unique journey. Understanding where they come from – and whether they still serve you – can unlock new levels of leadership effectiveness.
As a reminder, here’s what’s coming up in this Mindset Audit:
Day 2: Questioning Your Beliefs (You Are Here)
Day 3: Catching Cognitive Bias
Day 4: Getting Comfortable with Disagreement
Day 5: Practicing Intellectual Humility
Your Unconscious Beliefs
Many of the beliefs you hold about leadership today were shaped by past experiences – often without you realizing it.
Maybe you stepped into leadership during a chaotic time and learned that “people need clear direction to succeed.” Or you watched a respected mentor stay calm during a crisis and internalized the idea that “good leaders never show uncertainty.”
These beliefs likely helped you succeed in that moment. But beliefs formed in one context don’t always translate well to new ones. What protected you as a junior manager might hold you back as a senior leader. And unless you examine these unconscious assumptions, you’ll keep making decisions based on outdated rules.
Six Categories Where Limiting Beliefs Hide
Your unique leadership beliefs may create blind spots in six key areas. See if you recognize yourself in any of these patterns:
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Leadership by 16Personalities to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.