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Mindset is everything, and practice is the rest…

I was 12 years old when it happened – the night that changed everything.

Some friends of my parents took me to see Jesus Christ Superstar in London’s West End. Until then, my musical world had been handed down from my parents – Mozart, Beethoven… maybe the odd Chopin if things got really wild.

But this? I was blown off my seat. I could feel the sound, not just hear it – pounding bass and drums, guitars, screaming yet melodic vocals. It wasn’t just music – it was a revelation. I walked out of the show dazed and utterly convinced of one thing:
I was going to be a rock star.

Within weeks, I’d talked my parents (with much persuasion) into buying me an electric guitar – though I’m pretty sure they were rooting for a cello. I had a few lessons. I imagined myself on stage, adoring crowds, shredding solos. In my mind, it felt inevitable.

But here’s the truth: I barely practised. I thought if I had real talent, it would come easily. When it didn’t, I gave up. Quietly. At 16, I put the guitar under the bed – and the dream with it.

Fixed mindset: the silent dream-killer

It took me years to realise what had happened. I’d fallen into what psychologist Carol Dweck calls a fixed mindset: the belief that ability is innate – you’ve either “got it” or you don’t.

This way of thinking is insidious. It kills potential before it’s had a chance to grow. It makes effort feel like failure. It confuses discomfort with inadequacy.

And it doesn’t just show up in music – it shows up in boardrooms, in leadership teams, and in how we approach any new skill – from sport to strategy, to managing people.

A new mindset and a second chance

Fortunately, I had a second chance. In my 40s, I picked up the guitar again – this time, a bass guitar. A fresh start. No dreams of stardom – just curiosity.

But this time, I did things differently.

I practised. I took proper lessons – humbling, ego-busting lessons that forced me to unlearn years of bad habits. Progress was slow, sometimes frustrating. But I stuck with it.

And something remarkable happened: I got better. A lot better.

Eventually, I started a band – Dorsal Fin – and 18 years later, we’re still going strong. I’ve even started a new band in France, where I now live. We practise, challenge each other, try new things. We love what we do – and we’re still improving.

It’s not about talent.
It’s about mindset.

So what does this have to do with leadership?

Everything.

Research shows that leaders with a growth mindset – the belief that abilities can be developed – are more likely to:

• Foster innovation and psychological safety
• Build stronger, higher-performing teams
• Respond better to feedback and setbacks
• Create cultures where people want to grow

By contrast, leaders with a fixed mindset tend to:

• Play it safe to avoid looking incompetent
• Undervalue learning and development
• Miss out on potential by labelling people too early
• React defensively to feedback or failure

In short, your mindset sets the tone for your entire organisation. And the way you handle setbacks and learning moments will ripple out through your team.

So here’s the question:

Where in your leadership are you still operating like 16-year-old me – hoping natural talent will carry you… and feeling inadequate when it doesn’t?

And what might be possible if you switched to a growth mindset?

Ready to shift gears?

If you’re ready to challenge old thinking – in yourself or your leadership team – I’d love to help. Through executive coaching and high-impact mindset programmes, I work with leaders to uncover blind spots, rewire unhelpful beliefs, and create cultures of bold, confident growth.

  Click here to start the shift.