Beliefs – why they are essential for success

Personally and professionally, toxic and limiting beliefs often prevent success. Leadership coach Roel Schaart explains why this is so: "Success does not primarily depend on actions, but on the inner mindset. If we believe we can't achieve something, we're not able to reach our full potential."

Another problem in the modern working world is that leaders often define themselves by "how" rather than by "who." "This causes them to develop toxic beliefs that prevent them from getting things done. In the end, they fail to achieve the intended results," Schaart explains. Many leaders needlessly waste time thinking about why the outcome they want to achieve is impossible. As a result, they procrastinate when it comes to taking appropriate action to achieve their goals. "They frequently blame the circumstances or other people, find excuses why they cannot do something and then, even if they believe they can achieve something, they do not take timely action. This is by far not a modern phenomenon but goes back to the time before Christ," says experienced coach Roel Schaart. The Greek poet Hesiod already warned against postponing one's work until tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.

Roel Schaart himself had a similar experience when he wanted to run his first full marathon in Berlin a few years ago. "At first glance, it seemed impossible for me to do it. I first had to work on my own conviction that it was possible and not focus on the fact that I had to run 42 km," he says. He started by doing small training runs. These opened up new possibilities for him and awakened new potential. "I sought the help of a personal trainer, created a training plan and ran a little more each week. After a while, I got better and better results, which helped me develop a powerful mindset, a strong inner conviction."

If you don't believe in yourself, it affects how you think and act. On the other hand, if you have a strong conviction that you can achieve certain results, you unleash your full potential. "The next time you tackle a similar project, your subconscious mind already believes you can take the necessary steps," Schaart concludes by encouraging leaders to really achieve their goals.