University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
The Outward Mindset
Book

The Outward Mindset

Seeing Beyond Ourselves

The Arbinger Institute
Berrett-Koehler, 2016
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

The Arbinger Institute, which works on resolving conflicts and improving organizational cultures, offers an inspiring book about the way that your mindset – your relationship with the world and the people in it – can become a force for change. Arbinger illustrates its thesis with excellent case studies. Its manual explains how assuming an outward mindset – looking at concerns beyond your own narrow perspective – can lead to rewarding results for individuals and organizations. Arbinger reports that companies whose leaders recognize and deal with deeply entrenched mindsets have a much greater chance of implementing change than companies whose leaders do not. However, this guidebook doesn’t explain how the institute’s findings fit into the rich literature of management and organizational behavior – a shortcoming that detracts from an otherwise entertaining and useful treatment. Nevertheless, getAbstract recommends its warm perspective to human resources practitioners and senior managers who are working to change the cultures of their organizations.

Summary

Thinking Outwardly

Consider the people you care about the most: your family and friends, the senior executive you admire and the people you like having as colleagues. Examine why you think so well of them. Perhaps they think and act in ways that show they consider you important. Such an other-oriented attitude or type of perception is “an outward mindset.”

Most people use the term “mindset” to refer to their deep belief about themselves. However, one of the strongest forces for change comes from how you see your place in the world – how you perceive your relationship with others and what you should do for them. To adopt an outward mindset, you need to see beyond yourself.

A number of studies on “personal improvement and organizational transformation” discuss people who have done extraordinary things for others. These reports suggest that if you emulate their altruistic actions, you can achieve similar gains. These examples show that the way you behave determines your results. The way you act, or the way your organization acts, determines what you and it can achieve.

Your perceptions of your context and of the people you work with determine how you behave...

About the Author

Working from offices in more than 20 countries, The Arbinger Institute provides services and advice to help companies, government agencies and individuals change their corporate cultures.

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