Subscribe to newsletters

Sign In
FORBES LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP STRATEGY
The 12 Crucial Leadership Traits Of A Growth Mindset
Glenn Llopis
Contributor
Leadership in the Age of Personalization

Growth Strategy Meeting

Employees are tired of being told what to do and just checking the box. So are their leaders – even if

they won’t admit it. They are tired of just doing what they are told. By following the same corporate

playbook, they have little room to grow and evolve as individuals. They want to do more and be

more entrepreneurial. They want their professional goals and those of their organization to be in

alignment. The result is most leaders are conflicted, battling the gulf between assimilation to what

the corporate playbook dictates and being the authentic and vulnerable leaders their people want

and need.

If today’s leaders are responsible to guide business transformation, businesses should not define

how leaders act, influence and create momentum in search of future growth. To lead business

transformation, leaders must learn how to transform themselves to define the future growth of their

businesses.

If organizations truly want their leaders to have growth mindsets, corporate playbooks must give

leaders room to grow as individuals and opportunities to influence their organizations’ futures.

What Happens When the Business Defines Individual Leaders?

 Leaders are measured on how well they execute based on how the organization

wants them to think, limiting their abilities to best serve the unique needs of the

business. In this environment, the individual is being told what to do inside the box
1

they are given. This limits their ability to see, grow and share. They play not to lose.
Page

Transformation and a growth mindset is limited. Complacency ensues.

1
What Happens When the Individual Leaders and Employees Define the Business?

 Leaders have the freedom to be more inclusive. They are rewarded for sharing their

wisdom for the betterment of the business. They embrace diversity of thought,

appreciate differences and see and seize previously unseen opportunities. They see,

sow, grow and share opportunities with courage not complacency. They play to win

because they desire to be significant for the betterment of a healthier whole.

Possibilities for transformation through a growth mindset are unlimited.

So how do we get there? Here are the 12 crucial leadership traits for creating a growth mindset:

1. Be open-minded

A growth mindset requires leaders to be more inclusive to the unique needs and perspectives of

others. Growth requires more than sales and revenue; it requires a clear understanding of human

capital assets. It involves learning how to serve the unique needs of the individual clients and/or

consumers and the unique needs of employees.

2. Get comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty

Allow risk to be your new best friend. Companies operate in environments where ambiguity

and uncertainty are at all-time highs. Leaders must embrace uncertainty and see through the

ambiguity to find previously unseen opportunities by taking the time to step back and understand

why the ambiguity and uncertainty exist. As they do, it is imperative that leaders bring their people

along to ensure they do not fear uncertainty and ambiguity either but embrace it to create

momentum and sustain it.

3. Show strong situational awareness

Having situational awareness is the ability to see around, beneath and beyond what you seek. It’s
2

the difference between circular and linear vision. Most leaders don’t have a growth mindset because
Page

they are out of touch with the situations at hand -- their linear vision gets in the way. They act as if

2
they need to be in control rather than activate the people around them to influence more. Circular

vision effectively utilizes the resources and assets of the organization in ways that guide and drive

growth opportunities.

4. Have a greater sense of preparedness

Most organizations are not prepared for transformation. They spend millions planning for it yet fail

to operationalize it in the workplace and marketplace. That’s because they fail to anticipate the

unexpected. They lack the preparedness required to face the strategic implications of the

investments and the uncertainty involved in deploying transformation.

5. Have clarity on what others expect from your leadership

A growth mindset is ultimately about thinking differently and taking on new, elevated levels of

ownership as a leader. As such, people are watching your every move. They are closely paying

attention to decisions you make and why you are making them. They may even be skeptical about

them and your ability to solve for the right growth opportunities. Thus, leaders must make sure

others understand what they can expect from their leadership. Don’t assume they know. Be clear

about the path to growth and the role others play to help the organization get there.

6. Take ownership

Transformation is a fancy term for the ability to reclaim relevancy. Taking ownership is the

difference between being relevant and allowing the marketplace to pass you by. A growth mindset

demands resiliency and over-delivering value. Don’t tolerate complacency. Leaders who tolerate it

release the need for them and others to be accountable which gives the impression that they don’t

care enough.

BY RAWPIXEL.COM

7. Grow with people

The days of people perceiving that their leaders have all the answers is gone. In fact, people feel that
Page

their leaders are out of touch with today’s workplace realities, and thus are perpetuating silos as a

3
result of their leaders’ hidden agendas. Today’s leaders must grow with their people. They need to

eliminate hierarchy and rank and create environments of greater intimacy in which all people can

get to know each other so that they can grow and evolve together. Leaders must then not only value

the relationships forged but invest in them to keep earning the trust of others.

8. Seek to eliminate mediocrity and complacency

Mediocrity and complacency gets in the way of growth. What organizations don’t realize is that

while they encourage their leaders to have a growth mindset, corporate values and workplace

cultures have become so outdated that they make it difficult for the outcomes associated with

growth to take root. Those are environments in which mediocrity and complacency are not only

tolerated but thrive! Leaders must ensure they eliminate the traps of mediocrity and complacency

starting with themselves and knowing what they solve for and then drive the same knowledge

through their teams and the organization.

9. Break down silos

Disconnected thinking in the workplace is a sure sign that silos are getting in the way of a growth

mindset. A growth mindset sees those silos as barriers to growth. Leaders who are hungry for

growth break down silos and seek alignment to connect the dots of opportunity that currently don’t

exist. Breaking down silos requires leaders to be more inclusive --allowing others to get in their lanes

and the lanes of others. They don't worry about titles or sharing credit. They welcome it. In fact, they

demand that an organization lead more inclusively and that everyone has an entrepreneurial

attitude to grow and evolve together.

10. Have a strong executive presence

Executive presence is not about selling a business transaction or showcasing knowledge, capabilities

and skill-sets. Executive presence is about a leader’s ability to create a moment – an experience that

ignites others to want to know more about them and their businesses. Executive presence requires

self-trust, confidence, self-awareness and the ability to navigate the needs of people. It is about
4

earning the right from others over time to explore more meaningful and purposeful business
Page

relationships. Simply put, executive presence is not about “you”; it’s about others. '

4
11. Stand for inclusion and promote individuality

Inclusion is a system for making sure organizations are welcoming at every level to every individual.

Inclusion is about finding like-mindedness in our differences and embracing individuals’ unique ideas

and ideals. Leaders with a growth mindset have a deep desire to do this and lead inclusion and

embrace individuality as their primary growth strategy. They understand that if you’re not inclusive

enough, then reputation management gets in the way of progress. Do you have an enterprise-wide

growth mindset, click here and find out.

12. Want significance more than just success

Leaders that do not desire to be significant care primarily for recognition. Leaders that desire to be

significant care primarily for respect. Recognized leaders appeal to the head where things are easily

forgotten. Respected leaders captivate the heart – and the heart doesn’t forget. Leaders with a

growth mindset desire to be significant, because they want the growth that they create to take the

organization to places it has never been before. They want growth to help their organizations evolve.

Leaders with growth mindsets practice all (12) of these traits. Organizations that give them the

freedom to do it on their own terms for the betterment of the business are the ones that realize the

growth transformation promises.

We are transitioning from a knowledge to wisdom-based economy, it’s no longer just about what

you know but what you do with what you know. Allow your leaders to do what they know they can

do. Let them out of the box.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.
Exclusive: Mars Unveils Strategy To Double Snacking Revenue To $36 Billion

In an age of protein bars and Ozempic, America’s biggest candy company faces the challenge of
satisfying consumers’ growing hunger for healthier eating.

By Chloe Sorvino, Forbes Staff

5
Millions of Snickers, Milky Way, Three Musketeers and Twix bars roll off Mars conveyor belts on

their way to holiday celebrations across the world. But there’s another product, a newer one for

America’s biggest candy company, that’s joined the others in the mix. It’s the Kind bar, a 2017 Mars

investment, made of nuts and grain held together with nut butter, dotted with chocolate chips and

sometimes drizzled with dark chocolate. Kind bars taste like candy but look more like energy bars.

And they’re the essential ingredient in Mars’ ambition to dominate global snacking.

In the next decade, Mars aims for its snacking division, which also includes household names such as

M&M’s, Skittles, Starburst, Extra and Wrigley’s chewing gums, Altoids and Dove chocolate, to double

its yearly revenue to $36 billion from $18 billion today. That would sweeten the company’s total

annual revenue, which it said was $47 billion last year and has hit $50 billion in 2023.

Andrew Clarke, Mars Snacking global president.

MARS

“That gives you a sort of magnitude of where we’re at, at the moment, and we’re present across the

world,” Mars Snacking global president Andrew Clarke told Forbes in an exclusive interview. “We’re

feeling very, very optimistic about the future of Mars snacking.” Mars said it wants to achieve its

lofty goals the right way — by overhauling supply chains to deliver cuts of 50% in emissions by 2030

and net-zero carbon by 2050.

Mars’ revenue figures, and its vision for the future, were shared for the first time, with Forbes.

Clarke, who started at Mars in 2000, said the candy maker wants to transform the snacking industry,

and with its scale, it might be able to do it. But like its smaller competitors Mondelēz, Hershey and

Tootsie Roll, Mars faces challenges. Dry weather in India and Thailand has led to a worldwide

shortage of sugar, and the USDA predicts that U.S. prices could climb as much as 10.6% in 2024. At

the same time, a growing number of Americans are rejecting sweets, some of them with chemical

assistance. Sales of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug that’s also used as an appetite

suppressant, were up 58% on an annual basis over the first nine months of 2023. The tightening of
6

America’s waistline could have a lasting impact on what Mars estimates is a $700 billion global
Page

market for snack products.

6
Out Of This World

Each of these Mars products brings in at least $1 billion in annual revenue.

Mars' stars: Kind, Dove, Snickers, Extra chewing gum, Twix and M&Ms.

MARS

Mars is “a smart organization but there are big hurdles in the future,” Robert Boutin, president of

candy consultancy Knechtel, told Forbes. “Almost everybody is on a diet. Almost everybody watches

calories. Everybody is worried about heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Most parents restrict how

much sugar children are taking. That has an impact on their core business.” Limited growth in the

industry means “there’s more competition for the same amount of dollars.”

Even through all the cultural changes, consumers remain hungry for snacks. It’s the way they snack

that’s evolving. In the Hartman Group’s 2020 report, for instance, more than 80% of respondents

said they’re snacking differently, with some saying they’re eating healthier. For Mars, that’s a trend

to follow.

“The way that we connect, engage and drive towards purchase is changing enormously,” Clarke said.

Family Business

Over the last century, Mars has shown an enviable ability to persevere. The company, founded in

1911, is owned by the Mars family, a private bunch that’s been guiding Mars with a long-term

approach for generations. The siblings Jacqueline and John Mars each own an estimated one-third

stake and are worth $37 billion each. The remaining third of Mars is owned by the four children of

the late Forrest Mars Jr., Jacqueline and John’s brother. The great-granddaughters of Mars founder

Frank Mars — Victoria Mars, Valerie Mars, Pamela Mars and Marijke Mars — are each worth an

estimated $9.3 billion. The company has 140,000 global employees, 35,000 of them in the snacking
7

division.
Page

7
“We can think in generations and not quarters,” said Clarke. “We can do things for the long run. We

can innovate for the long run. We can build for the long run.”

Putting pressure on Mars is another privately held powerhouse, family-owned Ferrero, which had

$15 billion in 2022 revenue from brands including Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread, Kinder

chocolates and Tic Tac mints. Ferrero, helmed by Belgium-based Italian Giovanni Ferrero (worth

$39.9 billion), has been on an acquisition spree in the U.S. It acquired Nestle’s U.S. candy business in

2018 for $2.8 billion; Kellogg’s cookie, ice cream cone and pie crust business for $1.3 billion in 2019;

and Blue Bunny and Halo Top ice cream maker Wells Enterprises in 2022. In October, Ferrero

announced it would purchase the iconic Illinois-based candy company Jelly Bean.

Mondelēz, which acquired Cliff Bar — Kind’s main rival — and Perfect Snacks and also includes

brands like Philadelphia cream cheese and Wheat Thins, Ritz and Triscuit, had $31 billion in 2022

revenue but didn’t break out its sweets or snack sales separately. Hershey’s 2022 revenue was $10.4

billion, and Tootsie Roll posted just under $700 million last year.

Mars’s renewed focus on snacking is sure to add even more pressure to the market. Mondelēz has

been capitalizing on the trend since 2018, when it launched a new product division and venture

capital arm called SnackFutures. But Mars has deeper pockets than publicly traded Mondelēz, and

the McLean, Virginia-based company is on the hunt for deals.

“We want to become the home for entrepreneur and insurgent brands,” said Clarke, who declined

to identify any specific targets. “The reason that the founders and entrepreneurs are very keen to

partner and work with Mars as a differentiator is our long-term view to start with. We have an ability

to really protect and respect and build those brands for the long run.”

Global Expansion

The home turf’s crowded market is part of the reason why global expansion will be key to Mars’

success. Mars product sales grew 40% last year in India and Brazil, and Dove’s sugar-free products
8

are doing especially well in China, Clarke said, where they reached $14 million in just 10 months with
Page

80% of the buyers new to Mars products. As for Kind, Mars has introduced the nut bars in 30

8
markets outside the U.S. and Canada since 2018. That includes debuts in South Korea and Malaysia

this year.

“There’s a lot of money in bars,” said Mark Haas, CEO of Portland, Oregon-based confectionery

consultancy Helmsman Group. “Those are powerful brands and there’s a lot of heart for those

products with consumers, and Kind has not explored global distribution. Mars has the ability to do

that.”

Haas added that Kind’s “major success” is “the perception of healthy snacking.”

The Kind bar, which comes in various types, tops out at 200 calories and 12 grams of sugar,

compared with the Snickers bar’s 210 calories and 20 grams of sugar.

Mars has been slowly plotting Kind’s supermarket takeover since 2017, when Mars first invested an

undisclosed amount in exchange for a 40% stake in the brand and made its founder, Daniel Lubetzky,

a billionaire. In 2020, Mars bought the remaining 60% ownership. At that time, Kind had an

estimated $1.5 billion in annual revenue.

Expanding the distribution of recently acquired fig-bar maker Nature’s Bakery and chocolate-covered

frozen-fruit brand Tru Fru is also part of Mars’ plan.

Clarke said he expects digital sales of Mars’ sweet snacks to explode to around $4 billion by 2030.

That’s three-fold growth, which Clarke attributed to focusing on capturing impulse transactions and

digitizing the business with partnerships like Mars already has with Amazon and Uber.

Before the pandemic, some 70% of all transactions in a physical store were purchased on impulse.

But by 2027, Clarke said, an expected 70% of all transactions will be made digitally, and impulse buys

are more challenging to secure in an online shop. Just 37% of transactions online happen spur of the

moment.

“We know we have to work a bit harder to create demands and capture demands, and that’s led us

to do some pretty innovative things of how we digitize our business,” he said.

9
If keeping up with consumers means pushing nut bars, then Mars is prepared to adapt. But the more

things change, the longer one sweet rules the market.

“The world without chocolate,” Clarke said, “really would be a pretty boring place.”

10
Page

10