Did you make a New Year’s resolution to make a fresh start and stick to it? Exercise more, get organized, learn a new skill or hobby, save more money / spend less money, spend more time with family and friends…do these sound familiar? Were any of these on your list? How is it going?
Michelle Loch, nationally renowned as a leader in neuroscience, says we need a new way to think about leadership and about how we lead and present ourselves. “In modern society we are struggling to keep up with the speed of change and the demands placed on us. We make assumptions, we succumb to emotional responses, and we don’t take the time to build the human connections that feed into collaboration and success.” A new start can be a real challenge. It seems so easy to fall back into old habits, especially amidst the busyness of daily life.
It was thought for most of the 20th century that new neurons could not be born in the adult brain of humans. The Florey Institute outlines a form of neuroplasticity, now known to occur in the brains of humans, as “adult neurogenesis”. Part of the scientific revolution of brain research in recent decades has been the realisation that there are specific regions within the brain where neurons can be born throughout life. Plasticity in our mindset is an influential factor as we learn and lead.
Dr. Carol Dweck presents research that people’s theories or mindset about their own intelligence has a significant impact on their motivation, effort, and approach to challenges. Those who believe their abilities are malleable are more likely to embrace challenges and persist despite failure. This model of the fixed vs. growth mindset shows how cognitive, affective, and behavioural features are linked to one’s beliefs about the malleability of their intelligence.
In our broken humanity, we can be ‘stuck in sin’. Our loving Lord understands the daily arm wrestle between our fixed mindset and growth. How does He respond to our struggle? God comes to us in love and forgiveness every day. He comes, through water, wine and word, to assure us that we are valuable, loved and bathed in His grace. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes that it is by grace that we have been saved, through faith, and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God. Every day, He gives us a fresh start. It’s a no brainer!
Blessings as we serve, lead and learn together.
Darren
