The Flexible Mindset is about responsive improvisation. We understand that the most important problems are often in messy spaces, such as organizational change, social reform, sustainability, and personal fulfillment. We understand that messy spaces are complex, ill-structured, and dynamic: the details matter, the details vary, and the details change. Lasting solutions often require creativity and cognitive flexibility. Solutions may be unconventional or improvised.

The Entrepreneur Mindset is about productive divergence. We confront hard truths, especially when a plan is failing. At the same time, we hesitate to accept that an idea is impossible or even impractical. We are boldly opportunistic and challenge the status quo. We savor the challenge of building something new. We believe that we can create our own destinies and we can rescue ourselves.

Ideas

The Growth Mindset is about our potential to change. We believe that we can grow smarter, more creative, and more resilient. We can be more tomorrow than we are today. However, we must reach to grow. So we seek optimal challenge and productive struggle. We embrace the Trying Trio: Admit Ignorance, Take Risks, and Own Mistakes.

The Needs Mindset is about our fundamental drives. We understand that we are needs-driven, goal-setting, strategy-choosing organisms. We believe that relationships and organizations should provide sustainable support for meeting our needs. We experiment with strategies that help us focus on meaning.

The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write,

but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. -Alvin Toffler

​Kym Buchanan

CC Attribution 2021 | Kym Buchanan
Photo of Kym by Eva Donohoo

The Strengths Mindset is about our individual capabilities. We believe that we do our best work when we match our strengths and passions to the right kinds of problems. This match also helps us find more courage and happiness. We value self-discovery and self-awareness, partly to help us find such matches. We believe that every person has a valuable, useful combination of background, strengths, and passions.

The Gamer Mindset is about focus and playfulness. We lean into adventure and mischief, because joy and creativity thrive on questioning convention and conformity. We enjoy a fair challenge, so we teach and follow the rules. Yet we also relentlessly experiment with strategies and push boundaries. We enjoy productive struggle because it energizes us. We value specialization and combined arms, because diversity is a force multiplier.

I'm interested in how we become our best selves. So I'm interested in

human capacities such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration,

compassion, perseverance, and resilience.

We can use our capacities to change ourselves and the world. Psychology

has given us better ways to see problems and assemble solutions. But

these ideas are not widely known or understood. I want individuals and

organizations to feel better and do better, by being more adaptive.

I believe that being more intentional with our mindsets can help. A mindset

is a way of seeing and doing, based on a combination of values, beliefs,

lenses, and habits of thinking and feeling.

I writing a book called Finding Courage to help inspire and empower other people. Here are some excerpts.