Self limiting beliefs are the biggest barriers to us achieving us achieving our full potential, and often we do not know that it’s this self-sabotage which is holding us back.But we must realise that just because we believe something it doesn’t mean that it’s true, and just as importantly, just because others believe it don’t mean it’s true either.
How many times have you heard the phrase leaders are born, not made?
This is a great example of a something that we have heard or been told so many times that, at a subconscious level it becomes something that we believe, which can then actually stop us from stepping up to be a leader. At which point it becomes a self-limiting belief.
Because now if we do not feel that we were born leaders, then we believe we can never be leaders.
But like all self-limiting beliefs, just because we believe it, doesn’t mean that its true.
These self-limiting beliefs are like chains keeping us down, keeping us from rising to meet our full potential whatever that maybe, whether we want to be soccer stars, an astronauts or pop singers.
Where do these beliefs come from?
Well, many of them have been programmed into us by the age of 7, they can come from parents, our friends, what we see and hear on TV, anywhere.
One of the things I used to regularly hear when I was growing up was that no one in our family could sing, we were all tone-deaf.
It was always said jokingly, and to be honest there was enough evidence to support that, but that doesn’t make it true.
I never wanted to be a singer, so whilst I still do believe I can’t sing, and that I never could I ever sing in tune, it’s not something which is really holding me back.
But that belief is still there in my head, along with many other self-limiting beliefs.
Interestingly my son, is now a professional musician, a singer, yet allegedly he comes from a family line where everyone is tone-deaf. But this was not something that he believed, somehow this self-limiting belief never got into his head, or gave him these doubts that stop him from even trying.
As leaders it’s one of our jobs to help dispel these self-limiting beliefs which are holding back our teams, or our department. We need to create the belief within them that they can be successful, that they can achieve the goals that we are setting them.
Self limiting beliefs such as Faster, Better, Cheaper, you can have 2, but not all 3, it’s beliefs like this stop us from even trying to achieve all 3.
One of the key differences between people who succeed and fail is their beliefs, not their ability.
It’s the belief that they will be successful that allows them to take on difficult tasks, and to keep going when things get tough, and then to continue on to success.
Inspiring leaders are leaders who help change these beliefs, who give people a different perspective, who show them that what is possible, and create a strong belief that team will be successful.
In order to do that we need to understand the power of these self-limiting beliefs, and come up with strategies to address and replace them.
When we do that, then we can unchain our teams and achieve outstanding results!
GET THE COMPLIMENTARY E-BOOK
