An abundance mindset leads to better work relationships

Scarcity vs. Abundance

A person with a scarcity mindset is someone who sees life as a “finite pie,” so if one person takes a big piece they believe there is less for everyone else. They focus on the depletion of resources and live in fear of losing something such as money or power. If someone else gets something, in their mind, that means there’s less for themself.

A scarcity mindset is easy to identify. It manifests in the workplace in many ways, even when someone is rewarded for good work. Have you ever seen a manager or a co-worker huff, “His work wasn’t that great”? This person exists in every company. They have a difficult time acknowledging others’ successes because they believe by doing so, there will be less opportunity for them to be acknowledged.

People with a scarcity mindset make terrible leaders. They create an atmosphere that pits coworkers against each other for recognition or resources that are meted out in the smallest doses. These leaders also tend to take credit for their employees’ work, using the misguided notion that because this person reports to them, they are wholly responsible for the outcome. While their influence on a project may have credibility, would this person also take credit for a disastrous project? If the answer is no, then they are operating from a selfish, scarce mindset. (A manager or co-worker taking credit for your work is never ok.)

Scarcity mindset leaders are always looking over their shoulder, seeing what their competitor is doing. They get aggravated when a competitor borrows an idea or comes up with an idea first. They get caught up in monitoring what their competitors are doing every day.

While it’s important to keep a pulse on your industry, a person with an abundance mindset believes there is plenty for everybody, and there is always more of everything, including money, resources, and opportunities. These people make fantastic leaders. They are the people who promote employee ideas, celebrate their employee’s wins, and do not follow every step their competitors take. Rather, they have a general sense that rising tides raise all boats. For example, if your competitor is raising awareness about the need for a product you both produce, think of that as a win for your team. Rather than feeling angered that they didn’t “think of this idea first”, or, worse, playing catch up and hastily publishing content to stay on par, a leader with an abundance mindset will realize their competitor is helping to create a market need. Your team can benefit from that market development and focus on finding new ways to fill that need - ways that drive customers to your product.

Surround yourself with people who have an abundance mindset. Abundance-mindset leaders always see room for opportunity, which inspires innovation, calculated risk-taking, creativity, and growth. This benefits employees and companies.