To Master Your Communication as a Leader, Start by Mastering Your Mindset

Kasie Roberson, PhD, and Himani Shah, MBA

11-25-2025

James Clear, New York Times best-selling author of Atomic Habits, writes, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” Applying this to leadership, the questions we need to ask are:

• What type of leaders do we want to be?
• What actions are we taking to become those leaders?

To answer these questions takes great self-awareness and understanding of how our mindset impacts how we show up as leaders.

In this month’s Daniels Insights post in the Best Practices in Business Communication Series, I am joined by Himani Shah, Chief of Staff to the Dean of the Mitch Daniels School of Business, to discuss mindset and how it influences how we communicate and lead.

This article highlights three core mindsets and offers some actionable steps to develop new ways of thinking that can positively influence how you communicate and lead.

What is mindset?

In her best-selling book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck says, “Mindsets are just beliefs. They’re powerful beliefs, but they are just something in your mind and you can change your mind.” The very fact that we can shift our thoughts is proof that mindset isn’t a fixed trait; it’s a collection of beliefs we can shape and direct. With this awareness, we realize that every day presents a choice between the possibilities of growth or the rigidity of a fixed mindset. 

Growth vs. fixed mindset

Growth mindset is about being curious, asking questions, and being open to feedback. A fixed mindset shows up when we are defensive and just want to be right, which can lead to avoiding conversations. An everyday expression of growth mindset is approaching life as a constant learner, seeing each experience as a lesson in progress. 

Actions to shift to a growth mindset:

• Pause and respond, don’t react – The pause can help us reframe the story we tell ourselves, shifting us from control to curiosity.
• Get curious – Asking open-ended questions to understand a different perspective can help uncover insights to move the conversation forward.
• Be open to other ideas – When a colleague suggests a new approach, resist the urge to dismiss it out of habit. Take a moment to consider their idea and take the proven practice from improv by saying, “yes, and…” to build on the idea.

Abundance vs. scarcity mindset

Abundance mindset focuses on collaboration, sharing credit and making room for others to contribute. Scarcity mindset focuses on competition, protecting our status or sometimes feeling like you need to prove your value. With an abundance mindset there is a sense that “a rising tide lifts all boats,” and the real competition is on the field, not within the "locker room."

Actions to shift to an abundance mindset:

• Be transparent – A leader with an abundance mindset will be transparent and invite feedback. When leaders have a fixed mindset they often will hoard information, waiting until the last minute to share.
• Reframe competition – By viewing others within your organization as collaborators rather than competitors, you position yourself to compete with external organizations in the same market, which creates more opportunities for organizational success opposed to individual advancement.
• Celebrate others and their wins – Leaders with abundant mindsets are motivated and inspired by the successes of others. They are not intimidated by others’ success.

Positive vs. negative mindset

A positive mindset focuses on possibilities and opportunities. A negative mindset focuses on problems, and always assuming the worst possible outcome. There are many things out of our control. Your thoughts are not one of them. Building a practice of positive mindset opens up the possibility of a different outcome, one that could surprise you in the best of ways. Conversely, if you expect the worst possible outcome, your thoughts become the limiting factor. 

Actions to shift to a positive mindset:

• Practice gratitude – Taking a moment to celebrate the small victories has profound psychological benefits by reducing stress and anxiety while improving emotional resilience.
• Limit time on energy-draining tasks – When draining tasks are unavoidable, limiting time on the tasks helps flip the switch from a negative mindset to a positive mindset.
• Retrain your internal voice – You cannot lead a room if you have not learned to manage your inner voice. Retrain your communication patterns from pressure to possibility. The more we phrase statements as pressure statements, the more we open ourselves to a negative mindset. Actively monitoring your mindset can unlock endless possibilities.

How mindset impacts how we communicate and lead

People think good communication is about choosing the right words. Effective communication actually starts with our mindset, because that influences what words we will choose.

If our inner world is cluttered and focused on unhelpful thoughts, our words may lead to confusion and missed opportunities. If we are clear within ourselves, our words will carry clarity — even if we say little. Awareness before articulation means we align the inner voice with the outer voice; then every word becomes precise and powerful. The beliefs we have about ourselves and others show up in our tone, our listening, our openness and our ability to build trust. When we shift our mindset, our communication will shift naturally, and as we master our mindset, then our communication and how we lead becomes clearer, calmer and more connected.