Changemaker Mindset Advice from Students
I am so fortunate to learn from and alongside my amazing Berkeley students each week. They’ve been developing a changemaker mindset all semester, so on Tuesday I asked them what aspects of thinking and acting like a changemaker are most helping them navigate all of the change around us right now. I wanted to understand which course concepts they are applying to their own life to stay grounded, positive and to continue making a positive impact on those around them during such challenging times. Here are the top 5 results from a poll and our class discussions alongside some resources if you want to learn more.
5. Microleadership: seizing little leadership moments around us all the time. Giving ourselves permission to step up and consciously serve others. More in this blog post where I first introduced the concept: https://alexbudak.com/changemaker-blog/microleadership
4. Growth Mindset: developed by the incredible Carol Dweck at some unnamed rival university in the Bay Area, her work helps us understand how we view our own development. Do we believe that our character, intelligence, creativity, etc. are all static (fixed mindset) or do we see challenge as a springboard for development and improvement (growth mindset). A growth mindset helps give us a powerful context through which to process the many, many challenges we are all facing right now. More in this helpful blog post providing an overview of the concept: https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/
3. Resilience: in class we define resilience not as “enduring as much pain as possible,” but rather “staying strong for the long haul.” Here’s a great article from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Center on 5 science-backed practices for building resilience: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_science_backed_strategies_to_build_resilience
2. Adaptability: I teach Psychologist Stephen Zaccaro’s adaptability framework early on in class because it’s such a powerful way to think about flexibility across three different dimensions: cognitive, dispositional and emotional. Whether we like it or not, COVID-19 is forcing us to adapt -- but it’s up to us to adapt in productive ways. Here’s a great article from the Center for Creative Leadership discussing all three and how you can apply them to your own life: https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/adaptability-1-idea-3-facts-5-tips/
1.Learned Optimism: I define changemaking as “optimism in action.” But what if you aren’t naturally an optimist -- can you still be a changemaker? Yes, absolutely, thanks to Martin Seligman’s amazing work in the field of Positive Applied Psychology and in developing a concept called “learned optimism.” By learning to reframe setbacks and challenges in a new way -- a way in which we come to recognize that negative events need not always be permanent, pervasive or personal -- we can better adjust our mindset to persevere in the face of challenges. I find it’s a powerful tool to zoom out from a setback or challenge which might be getting us down and to get a fresh perspective. Take this learned optimism test to see how you’re doing with the concept right now: https://web.stanford.edu/class/msande271/onlinetools/LearnedOpt.html
What aspects of a changemaker mindset have you been practicing? What’s been most helpful to you in these challenging times? Take good care and stay well!