Meeting Topic
Stop looking in the rear-view mirror – Erica Hodgson
On the motorway of business, are you looking out the front windscreen, or do you spend all your time looking in the rear view mirror?
Being in leadership roles, or on the board of directors, can sometimes mean that we are stuck in what’s already been. We can spend all our time looking backwards to review compliance, track sales and identify trends that have already happened. Reports are written on performance over the last month, the last quarter (or the second to last quarter if we’re really slow) with dashboards and trends finishing at the very most to the end of the financial year. How often do we prioritise predicting what is coming towards us, beyond this? This is sometimes called ‘looking over the mountain’ – we may not be able to see what lies beyond, so who can we call on that may already be there or has heard from others what it’s like.
Good practice for medium sized businesses to keep your view strategic rather than stuck in the weeds:
- Include regular environmental scans of your practice context – what are your competitors up to, what do futurists see coming your way, what opinion does the current government hold on your industry, what are key stakeholders doing in your wider community?
- Build these scans into the annual workplan for your meeting structure, whether for internal governance or for the board.
- Invite guests into your meetings or attend industry groups to get a wider perspective.
- Link papers and decisions in senior leadership or board meetings to your strategic plan – if it can’t link to the plan, should you be discussing it and can it be delegated?
- Have a strategic plan which has been operationalised well, with clear and regular reporting allocated to the right roles, so you can trust and step back.
- Keep your nose in and fingers out – it’s ok to do a sniff test of what’s going on, but if your fingers get itchy, remember it’s not your job to do all the doing!
- Make sure KPIs are allocated to the right metrics – so they don’t inadvertently skew performance (and therefore your strategic direction) such as high sales to the wrong customer market.
And if you’re a sole trader or can’t delegate the doing to someone else:
- How can you ensure that you still take the time to look forwards?
- Build strategic planning and review time ahead in your calendar and don’t let anything else book in over the top of it!
- Do this review somewhere different to your day job, to refresh how you see your business.
- Find an accountability friend/coach/networking group who ask how you’re going in relation to your strategy (not how the last month has been…)
Compliance and assurance are important, but as owners and directors you can delegate this to your team. How can you ensure that your gaze is firmly out the front windscreen this year?
(My business that I promote with Venus is governance consulting, so this is pitched towards directors. But I know most of your people are not in businesses with boards, so I’ve tried to make it more widely applicable…)
Next Meeting Topic
You KNOW What to Do… So Why Aren’t You Doing It?
Picture this. You wake up, grab your coffee, and think, Today is the day! You’re going to own it. You’re going to make the tough decisions, set clear boundaries, charge your worth, stop over-explaining yourself, and maybe, conquer that inbox.
Fast forward two hours: you’re scrolling social media, questioning your career choices, and wondering why your to-do list looks like it’s written by someone who doesn’t like you.
What happened?
It’s not that you don’t know what to do. You’ve read the books, bought the programmes, got the certificates, and even have a step-by-step plan.
But, something invisible sits between you doing the things that actually move your business forward. That something is Mindset.
The Most Overlooked Business Strategy.
Businesses love strategy. They’ll map out marketing, client journeys, sales and growth plans.
But your mindset usually gets lumped under “self-care” and a casual comment about burnout. Meanwhile, the business is being steered by internal beliefs and emotions no one’s addressing.
Mindset isn’t just about being positive. It’s the invisible architecture behind:
- How you handle challenges and setbacks.
- How you view opportunities and risk.
- How you show up when things aren’t working.
- Whether you scale your business or just scale your stress.
Mindset isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the engine behind everything you do (and don’t do) in business.
How to Get Unstuck
If you’re feeling stuck, it’s not because you lack intelligence or drive. It’s because of one (or all) of these:
1. Letting Past Failures Drive Your Business
Ever made one bad hire, one bad launch, and then decided not to trust yourself?
When you operate from old wounds instead of strategy, fear runs the show. You avoid raising prices, taking risks, or being visible, because your brain is wired to avoid pain.
2. You’re Playing Small… or Trying Too Hard
Some of us hide. Others overwork and over-give, trying to “prove” their worth. Both are exhausting, and unsustainable. The goal isn’t to prove you’re valuable. It’s to own it.
3. You’re Reacting Instead of Leading
You didn’t go into business to put out fires all day.
But every day some new drama demands your attention. Soon, you’re just surviving the day instead of moving forward.
A disengaged leader creates a disengaged team. It’s mirrored back in performance, culture, and results. First step – reignite your own inspiration.
Stop Playing The Blame Game
It’s easy to blame the economy, the algorithm, the team, Mercury in retrograde… But blame keeps you stuck. Sometimes for months. Sometimes for years.
Great leaders trade blame for ownership. Because ownership creates clarity and clarity creates movement.
Business Is More Than Profit. It’s About People.
Businesses that ignore mindset eventually face:
- Exhausted, disengaged teams
- Owners who feel drained and resentful
- Expensive turnover and burnout
But when businesses prioritise mindset:
- People feel valued and energized
- Communication improves
- Creativity returns
- Decisions feel aligned instead of chaotic
Mindset Is Already Running the Show
My invitation? Stop treating mindset like a backup plan.
Your challenge?
- Stop fixing external problems without adjusting your internal perspective.
- Stop waiting to feel ready. Courage comes before confidence.
- Stop searching for more validation, you need to trust yourself.
- Stop assuming you can scale your business without scaling your mindset.
Mindset’s already influencing your business. The question is: Are you in the driver’s seat? Businesses that scale their mindset alongside their strategies don’t just grow, they lead.
Mandy Beverley High-Performance Mindset Coach & Facilitator at Remarkable Mindset https://remarkablemindset.com/
