Spring is here and Jeff Van Fleet, Lighthouse’s President and CEO, is thinking about how we handle our successes. Do we share them with our peers, or hoard them for ourselves?
| People with Abundance Mentality tend to have no problem giving credit to their peers and being happy in their success. Since there’s plenty of “what you want” in the world, you don’t need to guard it. Conversely, since people with Scarcity Mindset see only a finite supply of success in the world, the spotlight is not something to be shared. |
Happy Spring! (OK, Happy Daylight Savings Time…which, by definition, means that Spring is near.) I trust that you are well and enjoying some of the warm weather we’ve been experiencing lately.
This month I want to talk about Abundance Mentality. Also known as Abundance Mindset, Stephen Covey coined the idea in The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People as a concept in which a person believes there are enough resources and successes in the world that it’s easy to share them with others. People with this worldview tend to have no problem giving credit to their peers and being happy in their success. Since there’s plenty of “what you want” in the world, you don’t need to guard it.
In his book, he contrasts it with the Scarcity Mindset (i.e., destructive and unnecessary competition). It’s founded on the idea that, if a peer wins or is successful at something, it comes directly at your expense—because they won and you did not. Since people with this worldview see only a finite supply of success in the world, the spotlight is not something to be shared. These people tend to ignore the possibility of all parties winning (in some way or another) in a given situation (a zero-sum game). Conversely, individuals with an abundance mentality reject this notion and celebrate the successes of others, rather than feeling threatened by it.
In your business and in your personal life, do you tend to look at things with this Abundance Mentality or do you believe more in scarcity and limitation? Do you foster ideas in your organization and in your family? Do you encourage your children when they dream, and take the time to listen when they do?
One of the best things my kids did when they were little was to attend Camp Invention. It was a week-long camp where they took archaic pieces of machinery and transformed them into something else. I specifically remember donating my 8-track tape player and an old rotary phone (and they both worked just fine!). Inside each are speakers, bells, and all kinds of building blocks, which they used to help bring their visions to reality.
Think of those little building blocks as thoughts in your kids’ and employees’ heads. They have ideas, and if you nurture them, they will produce more. Talk about them, allow them to present them to you, and reward them for putting themselves out there. Help create an Abundance Mentality! The financial dividends might be great, but I guarantee you the confidence and enthusiasm they gain will be even greater.
Have a great month. Until next time, I wish you much abundance!
Keep having fun,
Jeff Van Fleet
President and CEO
Lighthouse Technologies, Inc.
Software Testing | Quality Assurance Consulting | Oracle EBS Consulting
