Abundance vs. Scarcity Mindset
Resources can often feel finite and limited. And sometimes they are. That’s why stewardship is important in leadership. But often during times of economic uncertainty, it can feel safest to restrict spending and limit growth. And sometimes that’s exactly the right move. But what happens when that type of thinking becomes your norm? When it’s no longer a season of limits, but a lifestyle? Well, that’s when you’re headed toward a scarcity mindset.
In this article, we’ll break down what it can look like to live and lead with a mindset of abundance versus one of scarcity. And you can decide for yourself—which one looks like an easier way to live?
3 Ways You Lead with an Abundant Mindset
See opportunity. When you view resources (time and money) as tools to be used wisely, then you’ll be able to say yes to opportunities that come along—both in business and life. And that doesn’t mean you can (or should) say yes to every opportunity, but that your thinking and finances are in a healthy space allowing you to seize opportunity. And that’s an exciting place to be in life and leadership. You never know what’s just around the corner and if you’re open to it, it could be a life-changing and transformative event or experience.
Practice generosity. When you hold resources with a loose grasp and view it all as a gift, then you’re way more likely to be generous with what you have. And we’ve all heard that it’s better to give than to receive or that what goes around comes around—and in the area of generosity, that seems to be worth testing. So if you lead an organization, how can you partner with other organizations to give toward worthy endeavors? What is your corporate responsibility? And on the personal front, how can you change your thinking to be one of abundance? How can you begin viewing your resources as a gift that’s been entrusted to you to steward? And how can you use your resources to help others?
Don’t grasp for control. When you are thinking with a mindset of abundance, you aren’t tightening your fists around what you have. Instead, you loosen your grasp, and your thinking becomes less self-focused. And when we take our eyes off ourselves and look for ways to help and serve others, life becomes more interesting. It’s funny how that works. A mindset of abundance is rife with opportunity, freedom and hope.
3 Ways You Lead with a Scarcity Mindset
Guard and protect. You may find yourself in a season where you need to guard and protect your resources. But that’s just it—it should only be for a season. And seasons are short. They come and go. So once the season has passed, it’s time to change your view of your resources, otherwise you stay long-term in a tight-fisted, protective, guarded mindset. And by living and leading this way, not only will you miss out on opportunities to bless others or take risks, but you’ll find your thinking becomes a bit negative. I mean if you’re always expecting the other shoe to drop, then you’re living like it already has.
Limit your choices. A scarcity mindset robs you from seeing opportunity. And opportunity is how we change and grow within (and out of our) circumstances. Without allowing yourself the choice to seize a new opportunity whether in life or leadership, you’ll stay exactly where you are. And that’s not conducive long-term to growth. As a leader, you need to stay agile and open to change. A scarcity mindset will keep you narrowly focused on the way you’ve always done things—and with that thinking, you’ll get what you’ve always got.
Avoid all risk. You’ve heard the phrase, “Without risk, there’s no reward,” right? Well, there’s some definite truth to it. Because to grow requires change and change usually requires risk. Don’t miss out on the reward that comes with taking a risk! Or the lesson that comes with failure. A scarcity mindset will feed you the lie that all risk is bad. And a risk that leads toward failure may feel very bad—but that doesn’t mean it is. Failing teaches us so much. And that’s growth.
So what type of mindset do you want to lead with, one of scarcity or one of abundance? At Building Champions, our approach to coaching is deeply rooted in the belief that our thinking, feeling and believing directly impacts our actions, results and relationships. And we know that what we think about matters—because how we show up to those around us matters.
And we’d love to help you grow in your leadership and get your thinking in a healthy space so that you can live and lead with a mindset of abundance and growth. Our coaches have walked with leaders just like you through our one-on-one coaching engagements and we’d love to partner with you too. Get in touch with us!
