Episode 17: 3 Mindset Shifts My Coach Taught Me | 12MinuteLeadership

Have you ever wondered why some leaders experience exponential growth while others remain stuck in incremental improvements? The difference often lies not in working harder, but in adopting powerful mindset shifts that transform how we approach challenges and opportunities.

When I hired my business coach in 2023, I couldn't have imagined the profound impact her guidance would have. Within just one year, after struggling with infertility for over five years, I finally conceived my daughter. I also wrote my first book, launched this podcast, expanded my coaching team, and achieved numerous goals that had been on my back burner for years.

The catalyst for these breakthroughs wasn't just hard work—it was three counterintuitive mindset shifts that challenged everything I thought I knew about leadership and success.

The first revelation? Exponential growth is actually easier than incremental growth. This concept from "10X is Easier Than 2X" by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan taught me that true 10X growth cannot be achieved by simply working harder. Instead, it requires radical focus on only those activities that create disproportionate value while eliminating everything else. By applying this principle and the 80-20 rule, I identified my unique abilities, delegated administrative tasks, and freed myself to focus exclusively on high-leverage activities.

The second mindset shift—"let it be easy"—taught me that many of the struggles we face come from our own resistance, overthinking, and over complication. This doesn't mean avoiding effort; it means dropping unnecessary tension so your energy flows toward what truly matters.

The third shift—embracing that "two things can be true at the same time"—has transformed how I navigate leadership paradoxes, from giving balanced feedback to resolving conflicts and setting boundaries.

These mindset shifts have not only accelerated my results but made the journey more fulfilling. Sometimes the breakthrough you're seeking isn't about doing more—it's about thinking differently. Ready to transform your leadership? Listen now to discover how these principles can help you achieve extraordinary results while finding more joy in the process.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to the 12-Minute Leadership Podcast
where, in 12 minutes or less,I'll share small things that you
can put into immediate practicethat will make a big difference
in your leadershipeffectiveness.
I'm your host, eliseBoggs-Morales leadership
professor, consultant and coach.
For the last 17 years, I havehelped thousands of leaders

(00:25):
level up their influence andachieve remarkable results.
If you want to trade compliancefor true commitment and create
your dream team, you are in theright place.
Get ready for a quick hit ofpractical wisdom to increase
your team's engagement, inspiretop performance and retain your
best talent.
Ready to level up yourinfluence and get better results

(00:47):
.
12 Minutes starts now.
Hi everyone, elise here,welcome to episode 17.
Today, I am continuing theseries on coaching.
Last week, I shared fivereasons to hire an executive
coach.
I have an amazing team ofexecutive leadership coaches,

(01:08):
but I also receive coachingmyself.
I hired my business coach in2023.
Her area of expertise ismindset.
Since being coached by her, mylife and business have never
been the same.
Within one year of hiring her,I finally conceived my daughter
after five plus years ofinfertility, wrote my first book

(01:30):
, launched a podcast, hired anassistant, expanded my coaching
team and achieved othersignificant goals that had been
on the back burner for years.
One of the most importantfactors in choosing a coach is
choosing someone who has aproven track record in the areas
you are seeking success.
My coach is at least 10 plussteps ahead of me, offering

(01:51):
wisdom and guidance that hassaved me years of time.
Today I'm going to share threemindset shifts I made as a
result of coaching with her.
My hope is that your thinkingwill be challenged for the
better, like mine was, andyou'll have some gold nuggets
you can apply to your own lifeand leadership.
Mindset shift number oneExponential growth is easier

(02:15):
than incremental growth.
I'll say that again Exponentialgrowth is easier than
incremental growth.
This concept is verycounterintuitive and not
something I could have ever comeup with on my own.
To drill this concept in, mycoach recommended the book 10X
is Easier Than 2X by BenjaminHardy and Dan Sullivan when

(02:37):
looking at an effective growthstrategy.
In short, 10x is easier than 2Xbecause it forces clarity.
You can't 10X by doing more ofwhat you're already doing.
You 10x by focusing only onwhat has exponential potential,
those things that truly matter,and eliminating the rest.
2x or doubling your growth canoften be achieved by working

(03:01):
harder, adding more tasks ormaking incremental improvements.
It's familiar and feels safe,but it usually means carrying a
lot of things that don't trulyserve you.
10x growth or tenfoldimprovement cannot be achieved
by working harder in the sameway.
It requires radical focus,simplification and letting go of

(03:22):
the majority of things you'redoing.
Only your unique abilities, thethings that create exponential
value, will get you there.
It's the 80-20 rule on steroids.
To go 10x, you must focus onthe 20% of your activities that
generate 80% of your results andeliminate or delegate the rest.
Here's how I applied the 80-20rule in my leadership in

(03:44):
business to produceextraordinary results in a short
amount of time.
I identified two things First,my unique abilities and second,
narrowed my focus on theactivities that could create the
most exponential growth.
Once I got that clarity, Ieither eliminated or delegated
the rest.

(04:04):
As a result of this audit, Ihired an assistant to support me
with all the backend admin work, client support and
communication and all of thefront facing elements of my
brand, like social media and thelaunch of my book and podcast.
I also hired three moreexecutive coaches to join my
team and expanded the work mycoaching team is doing.

(04:26):
Previously they exclusively didexecutive coaching.
Now I am fielding other typesof client work to them based on
their unique skill sets andexpertise.
In my personal life, I hired alocal company to provide us with
clean, organic meals a couplenights a week for dinner to save
me time and allow me to befocused on being present with my

(04:47):
daughter.
So what am I doing with all thetime I got back?
My 20% is now focused on doingmore work with organizations,
consulting at the strategiclevel, limiting the number of
people I coach, updating myrates, developing new offerings
and services for clients,recording this podcast, reading

(05:07):
books, nurturing my businesscommunity, blocking out
self-care days where I canrecharge and CEO days where I
can focus on strategy and givespace for new and creative ideas
to flow.
Applying the 80-20 rule hasincreased the growth and clarity
of my business significantly.
Want to apply this 80-20 goldennugget to your leadership and or

(05:30):
business.
Here is some practicalapplication it to your
leadership and or business.
Here is some practicalapplication.
Ask yourself what would I haveto stop doing, start doing and
focus entirely on if I wanted10x growth?
Also, be willing to let go ofgood opportunities to pursue
only the great ones andrecognize that the path to 10x

(05:52):
is simpler, not harder.
It requires less activity, butmore clarity and courage.
All right mindset.
Number two let it be easy.
The first time I heard my coachsay yet another
counterintuitive phrase, my mindcould not compute how you can
let something be easy thatcircumstantially seems

(06:12):
challenging.
This is something shechallenged me with early on and
I can honestly say it hastransformed the way I think
Things I previously thought wereso hard are hardly a blip on my
radar now.
New things that could beperceived as hard are now
challenged.
So here are the key conceptsfor let it be easy if you're

(06:33):
finding yourself in challengingcircumstances.
Number one releasing struggle.
Often, when circumstances feelhard, part of the hardness comes
from the mental and emotionalresistance that we add
Overthinking, bracing for theworst or trying to control every
detail.
Or trying to control everydetail, let it be easy is an

(06:56):
invitation to loosen thatresistance and allow the
situation to unfold without somuch internal struggle.
Number two simplifying insteadof complicating.
Leaders and high achievers inparticular, tend to
overcomplicate solutions, addingextra steps over preparing,
orparing or aiming forperfection.
The phrase reminds you to lookfor the simplest, most

(07:18):
straightforward path forward.
Sometimes the solution is lesscomplex than we first assume.
Number three trusting yourself.
Challenges can triggerself-doubt.
Let it be easy is also areminder that you already have
the skills, wisdom and capacitywithin you.
You don't need to force orprove yourself.

(07:38):
You can trust the preparationand abilities you've built.
Number four shifting energy.
It's not about ignoringdifficulty.
It's about shifting the mindsetfrom this is a battle to this
is an opportunity.
I can move through with grace.
That lighter, more open energyoften creates better results and
less exhaustion.
So here's an example that mightresonate with you.

(08:01):
Imagine you're preparing for apresentation for a potential new
client.
Your default mode might be Ineed to cram, I need to over
script every line, I need toanticipate every possible
question.
The let it be easy approachmight sound like I know my
material.
I'll focus on the three keypoints.
I'll trust my presence and letthe conversation flow.

(08:23):
The prep is still there, butwithout the unnecessary tension.
So, in short, let it be easydoesn't mean avoiding effort.
It means dropping theunnecessary resistance,
overcomplication and pressure sothat your energy is freed up
for what truly matters Mindsetshift.
Number three Two things can betrue at the same time.

(08:47):
I'm a recovering perfectionist,black and white thinker who is
becoming more and morecomfortable with the messy gray
when I shared some differentchallenges I was having.
My coach shared anothermind-stretching phrase two
things can be true at the sametime.
So here's a quick example I canfeel grateful for my team's
effort and still be frustratedthat the project missed the

(09:10):
deadline.
Why does this matter?
In leadership, leaders faceparadoxes daily growth and risk.
Confidence and humility, visionand pragmatism.
Many people think in either orterms, but leadership requires

(09:31):
both, and thinking Acknowledgingthat two things can be true
allows leaders to navigatecomplexity without denying
reality.
So here's some practicalapplication.
First, emotions in leadership.
You can be excited about a newopportunity and nervous about
your capacity.
It's not weakness, it's beinghuman.
Another area is feedback andgrowth.
A team member can be incrediblytalented and still need to work

(09:56):
on communication.
Recognizing both truths helpsleaders give balanced,
constructive feedback.
Another area is conflictresolution.
In a disagreement, each sideoften has a valid perspective.
Saying two things can be trueshifts the tone from adversarial
to collaborative.
Another area is personalleadership balance.

(10:19):
You can care deeply about yourwork and set boundaries to
protect your health.
This reframes boundaries asstrength, not selfishness.
So how can you apply thismindset shift to your leadership
?
See if you can identify asituation in your leadership or
personal life where you're stuckin either or thinking.
Sometimes it's hard to beobjective to ourselves, but see

(10:41):
if you can think of a situationand then ask what would it look
like if both things were true?
This practice opens doors toempathy, creativity and better
decision making.
So, to recap, mindset shiftnumber one exponential growth is
easier than incremental growth.
Mindset shift number two let itbe easy.

(11:04):
And finally, mindset shiftnumber three two things can be
true at the same time.
Was your mind stretched andchallenged, like mine was
Sometimes a different experienceis just a mindset shift away.
If you enjoyed today's episode,share it with another leader you
know will benefit, and be sureto join me next time as I

(11:26):
continue this series on coaching.
I'll see you then Like what youheard on today's episode and
wanna go deeper, subscribe tothis podcast so you never miss
an episode.
You can also pick up my bookLead Anyone on Amazon.
Then go to my website to checkout ways that we can support

(11:48):
your leadership goals.
From executive retreats tocustomized training and coaching
, my team of experts will helpyou level up your leadership and
accelerate your results.
Go to wwweliseboggscom for moreinfo.