An Olympic team psychologist explains how leaders can cultivate an adaptive mindset

Trying to predict how you or your team might think and act in response to volatile and uncertain events isn’t easy, which makes it harder to prepare. However, performance psychology research and practice tell us that it starts with an adaptive mindset. 



You know if your team has an adaptive mindset because they are proactive and see opportunities in changing and tough conditions. Their emotional response to threats is constructive and flexible, whereas the opposite, a defensive mindset shows in reactive and emotion-driven behaviors. 



With an adaptive mindset, you and your team are equipped to deal with fast and unpredictable change, navigate uncertainty, collaborate on complex entangled problems, and embrace ambiguity and paradoxes. 



Why an adaptive mindset matters 



Leaders who model adaptive mindsets and behaviors have a clear advantage in turbulence because they build teams and cultures that respond positively to challenges and change. Instead of being overwhelmed by threats and difficulties, they see and go towards opportunities for achievement, development, and partnering with others.  



Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp points to a favorite aphorism from Edward Hale that perfectly illustrates an adaptive mindset: “‘I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something.’ It reminds me there’s always something within your power that you can do that creates positive momentum.” 



An adaptive mindset suits turbulence; a defensive mindset is antagonistic towards it. 



Mindset awareness training 



To guide the thought process, we use the Mindset Training Canvas and the three sub-canvases, See – Squirm – Seek: 




See is about being aware of when and how challenges trigger your protective and defensive thinking and behaviour. 



Squirm is understanding the natural threat response, and welcoming and embracing it as the sign to switch on. 



Seek is the action you take to go towards the challenge, address it, and then de-compartmentalize so you release the inevitable stress. 




It isn’t easy or even natural to adopt an adaptive mindset because humans tend to lean first toward security rather than opportunity. However, an adaptive mindset can be trained and strengthened to become your superpower and a great source of advantage in high-demand situations. 



The threat response 



It is perfectly normal and expected that work and related stressors will, from time to time, put you on edge, hijack your attention, fragment your thinking, and muddy your communication. This is your very natural threat response, and anyone trained to operate in high-demand environments is aware of it and even embraces it because they have the tools to minimize its damaging effects and the ability to turn it into an advantage.  



Captain Kevin Sullivan, a trained U.S. Navy pilot, experienced in taking off and landing on the pitching deck of an aircraft carrier at night, is one of those people. He shared the experience of his extreme threat response when piloting the stricken Qantas QF72 in 2008: 




“The plane is out of control. It’s violent and I have to try to regain control, but I also have to communicate with my second officer because we’re both getting the fight or flight response. You get tunnel vision, you stop breathing, and the blood disappears from your extremities. We have to adapt. I fight myself down to a point where I can think. Breathe. Get some oxygen in the system. And then compartmentalize.” 




This is an extreme threat response, but threats of any kind trigger a self-protective or defensive mindset that can make you less effective in complex environments.  



Tuning in to the telltale signs of your threat response and how it is triggered is the next step in discovering what happens to your mindset in challenging situations.  



Welcome to the Squirm 



NeuroLeadership Institute founder David Rock’s SCARF model explains how we are wired to react to social loss with the same threat response as happens when basics like food and shelter are at risk. 



It highlights five types of threats: 




Status: Importance relative to others 



Certainty: Being able to predict the future 



Autonomy: Sense of control over events 



Relatedness: Sense of belonging with others 



Fairness: View of fair exchanges 




One of the keys to navigating turbulence is to welcome the emotional squirm as a natural response.  



“Embrace the squirm” means rather than being driven by defensive thinking (avoiding or controlling), you learn to accept and sit with the discomfort as you consider your choices. 



Seek 



How did Sullivan shift from an extreme threat response to a constructive adaptive mindset in the moments needed to save QF72?  




“I had my toolbox. Navy pilots are expert compartmentalizers, so that’s what I had to do. Focus on what needed to be done and be innovative, because this hadn’t happened before. Until I had the time to open up those compartments and deal with what was in there.”




Go towards the fire 



“Going towards the fire” means taking a courageous and proactive approach to difficulties, rather than avoiding or denying them. It is proactively seeking out challenges, and being willing to confront them head-on, even when uncomfortable or painful. 



This is a key strategy for personal growth because it boosts resilience and confidence. Being deliberate in choosing this pathway is also a great way to strengthen your problem-solving skills and your ability to navigate difficult situations with poise. 



De-compartmentalize after 



Taking time to decompartmentalize after an emotionally challenging experience is essential for well-being and future growth. 



In extreme situations, the impacts of unresolved emotions and other issues can have long-term negative effects on mental health. Unpacking the experience is important to gain insight into your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and to develop a better understanding of yourself and your reactions to similar situations in the future. 



Chief defense scientist and professor Tanya Monro leads in one of the most complex and high-stakes environments in the world. Her team of more than 2,000 employees works at the leading edge of defense science and technology. Most are highly trained scientists, technologists, and professionals, yet when asked, “‘What is most important to enable success for the organization?’ it is not the deep technical skills she singles out but mindset. ‘Success often comes down to shifting mindsets from protective and defensive into seeing the opportunities in change.’”



Are you looking to give yourself and your team an advantage when facing into turbulence? If so then perhaps it’s not about new skills or technologies but rather about fostering an adaptive mindset.