I've called a growth mindset the effective leader’s greatest skill. For years, I’ve attributed my success to “competitive learning”—the ability to push toward continuous improvement, seek out coaches who help you grow, and embrace the fact that you can always get better.

But this process was built for a stable world, where leaders had time to learn, apply, and improve. That world is gone.

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Trends that once took years to take hold now emerge in months. Business models that seemed durable collapse overnight. Stock prices and business costs rise and fall unpredictably. Artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of entire industries. Social expectations of leaders have fundamentally shifted. And people's relationships with work and personal priorities have been permanently altered. Jobs are evolving, uncertainty is rising, and everyone is feeling the pressure.

In this volatile new marketplace, a different growth mindset is needed. Leaders need more than just a willingness to learn. They must be able to adapt in real time — to lead, decide, and perform while the ground is shifting beneath them.

Three pillars of the new growth mindset

The new growth mindset includes three key elements that go beyond learning:

1. Resilience: Not giving up under pressure. The ability to learn from setbacks, rather than being discouraged by them, so you can come back stronger. For leaders, this means holding an organization steady through disruption. For professionals, it means continuing to perform and grow even when the environment is uncertain. 

2. Adaptability: The capacity to shift — in approach, in thinking, in skill — as conditions change. For leaders, this means making sound decisions without a complete picture. For professionals, it means staying relevant as the rules of your field are being rewritten.

3. Learning agility: Being open to new approaches and different perspectives. This is the ability to explore new methods, learn quickly, and adapt swiftly in ambiguous situations. In practice, this is learning as you go, accepting missteps without being derailed by them, staying curious, and pivoting toward innovation.

Resilience in practice

Leaders must be resilient after failure, adaptable as conditions change, and able to apply new knowledge to solve challenges. I’ve learned that these three skills allow you to lead effectively through uncertainty and chaos.

In May 2007, the company I was leading laid off seven people on a 25-person team. Let me rephrase that: I laid off seven people. Those seven people had depended on me, the CEO, to steer the company in the right direction, and I had failed them. But as bad as it felt to say, “This was my fault,” there was power in that statement. It meant that I could turn things around.

I met with the remaining 18 employees, reassuring them, “This will never happen again.” They agreed to stick with me, and together, we moved the company back into the black. We ended the year with a 3% profit and a much more sustainable business.

Our resilience and adaptability were soon tested. During the 2008 recession, one of our biggest partners asked us to renegotiate our contract and cut our consulting rates. While we were within our legal rights to hold them to the original agreement, I knew that this company—like many at the time—was hurting. It was better to accept less money, keep the cash flowing, and preserve our relationship. That unconventional decision paid off. In time, we became their preferred partner, resulting in significantly more business for us.

Everything I've experienced has prepared me for this moment. I grew my company during the Great Recession, built another company during the pandemic, and pivoted to AI-led operations while most executives were still experimenting with ChatGPT.

How leaders build this in organizations

The new growth mindset is not optional. Your ability to be resilient determines whether your organization wins or stumbles in this uncertain landscape. However, success also depends on how well you can build adaptable organizations, teams, and cultures.

Are you developing the habits and decision-making discipline to navigate volatility? Here’s how to begin:

  1. Communicate the Vision Relentlessly. Establish a common goal that everyone is working toward. In uncertain times, people need to know why their work matters. A clear sense of purpose and meaning provides stability and direction when everything else is shifting. Return to this message consistently, especially when pressure is highest.
    1. Build Psychological Safety. Encourage honest conversations, candid feedback, and genuine debate. When people feel safe to speak up, teams surface risks faster. They correct missteps before they become crises. They bring their full intelligence to problems instead of protecting themselves politically. Higher trust, greater accountability, and improved performance follow.
      1. Cultivate Relationships Intentionally. Your network gives you access to people with different talents and perspectives. Trusted colleagues provide emotional strength and practical guidance. In your organization, deep relationships with team members give you insight into their motivation, their strengths, and their real constraints. Encourage strong interpersonal relationships throughout your team, which ensures better collaboration.
        1. Model Stability and Resilience. Your team watches how you handle adversity. This is not about projecting false confidence. Demonstrate that resilience is a practice, not a personality trait. Share your stories of overcoming setbacks. Care for your mental health so you can regulate your emotions regardless of what comes. Stay curious and open to new ideas, wherever they originate.

          The leadership implication

          Leaders who build resilient, adaptable organizations do four things differently. They communicate with clarity and consistency. They create environments where people can think and speak honestly. They invest in relationships as strategic assets, not administrative overhead. They project stability and empathy. The result is culture that absorbs disruption without losing people or momentum.

          This framework serves everyone—from the corner office to the home office, from the C-suite to the cubicle. The tools look different at different levels. The foundation remains constant: knowing what has shifted, why it matters, and what a new standard of performance requires.

          Leaders who embrace this framework don't just survive volatility. They build organizations that thrive in it.

          About the Author

          Donald Thompson is an award-winning CEO and multi-exit entrepreneur, honored as EY Entrepreneur of the Year, named to Forbes Next 1000, and a 3x Inc. 5000 Chief Executive. His expertise, credibility and results-driven approach have made him a sought-after speaker on innovation, culture and growth. Thompson is the author of Underestimated: A CEO’s Unlikely Path to Success,  The Inclusive Leadership Handbook: Balancing People and Performance for Sustainable Growth and The Employee Engagement Handbook: A Leader’s Guide to People, Purpose, and Performance. He hosts the globally recognized podcast “High Octane Leadership” and has published widely on leadership and the executive mindset. Stay up to date with Thompson’s latest news, events and podcast by following him on LinkedIn and Substack. Interested in executive coaching, speaking engagements or leadership development? Get in touch at  info@donaldthompson.com.