Written by: Marisa Murray, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
It’s no surprise that what we believe to be true drives our thoughts and actions. Beliefs are often closely tied to the core of our being—not only how we see ourselves but how we present to others. But what do you do when you encounter a belief which is negatively impacting others on your team? How do you notice when your own core beliefs might be the culprit?
In a previous article, we looked at how the blind spot of Differing Views of Success can lead to misalignment on a team. It’s similar here with one’s core beliefs, but possibly more difficult to correct because of how entrenched beliefs become embedded in our mental operating system.
Core beliefs come in all shapes and sizes, woven together based on the evidence our brains collect, and then translated into our ultimate truth. When our experiences and observations solidify as core beliefs, they manifest in both our behaviours and our expectations of others. Over time, if we don’t consciously reevaluate our core beliefs, we may not be able to see how they have become outdated—and hurting us.
A common blind spot in the workplace, Outdated Core Beliefs are the actions people take or ways they behave because an underlying belief used to work for them but doesn't anymore. It’s important to put emphasis on the word “Outdated.” At one point, these beliefs may have held great value. They may have brought you success in one phase of your career, but if they have become outdated, they create a gap between your intentions and impact.
It’s like trying to run Windows 95 on a Microsoft Surface. It just won’t work!
Which begs the question: Is it possible to update your beliefs? And if so, how do you even begin the process?
Reframing beliefs
First, it's important to acknowledge we can’t control what people believe. This should be obvious, but it’s still worth saying. Even so, we have to recognize how our own core beliefs not only impact ourselves, but those around us—and even the company itself.
Second, we’re not talking about changing anyone’s beliefs in a way which doesn't allow them to be their authentic selves. This isn’t about imposing beliefs on others.
What I’m talking about is the core beliefs that they themselves want to examine since they realize that they are hindering their effectiveness at work, in their collaborations their coworkers, and even how they view themselves in the work environment. With these core beliefs, there are ways to expose when it’s become outdated and causing unintended conflict.
I’ll be really frank: the blind spots caused by outdated core beliefs are some of the toughest to expose because beliefs are so tightly connected to our own identities. It can feel like a form of self-betrayal to question our own beliefs. Many people are reluctant to do it.
Therefore, it's about leading your mind to the proof you need to reframe the beliefs that no longer serve you and make room for new beliefs that do serve you.
Generally speaking, our core beliefs are imprinted into our subconscious minds without scrutiny often when we’re young. Our brains love patterns and predictability. They’re constantly scanning for patterns and proof that form a foundation upon which we build our beliefs.
That’s why we don’t really understand why we’re behaving a certain way. No surprise then when the people around us don’t understand it either. They may just notice something is “off” about us, but they don’t know why or where it’s coming from. And since they can’t read our minds, this can develop into frustration on their end.
Core beliefs are so rooted into our subconscious that they can feel like unchangeable personality traits or instinctual behaviors. When we see success after success by following these beliefs, it becomes even more difficult to see a need for change.
The process of reframing core beliefs requires a lot of introspection. Sometimes, this is easiest to achieve by playing a game with yourself where you list out your beliefs about work and then question all of them. That is, with each belief you list, you ask yourself “Why do I believe this to be true?” If you're detailed with the responses, you can start to identify some of the patterns. Did the belief actually result in a success—or in conflict? Did it work ten years ago? How about last month?
When you're forced to provide proof for your beliefs, it quickly exposes where they might be outdated without negating the good they did for you in the past. If you can't identify any proof for your belief at all, then it should be a red flag that it’s outdated and in need of an upgrade—or full replacement.
Replacing beliefs
Once you’ve identified which beliefs might be outdated, you should get feedback from others. Maybe you're being too hard on yourself—or maybe one of your core beliefs you thought you had proof for crumbles under a fresh perspective.
Either way, you will have whittled away at your list, finding your up-to-date beliefs and more importantly, the ones in desperate need of upgrading. Most of the time, they don’t need a simple upgrade to a new version—they need to be uninstalled and replaced with new beliefs.
For example…
Let's say one of the outdated beliefs you’ve identified sounds something like “I work harder than everyone else.” In the past, this core belief maybe helped you earn a reputation as a star member of the team. But over time, the belief can acquire a new tone, a bitter one that sounds more like “No one works around here but me.”
Now what if you replaced it with a new belief that sounds like, “It’s my job to understand the work of my peers.” This new core belief can be acted upon. You can make it a point to meet with every member of the team, learn more about their role, and gain a better grasp of what they do each day and how your skills may be a help to each other. You will likely discover the people you might formerly have labeled as “lazy” simply have a job you didn’t understand.
The tricky part here is your outdated core beliefs are going to have terrific muscle memory. So much so, they are part of your subconscious. As therapist Marisa Peer says, “A belief that is held by the unconscious mind will remain there until it is consciously replaced.”
In other words, it requires a lot of willpower to become conscious of one’s outdated core beliefs and then replace them. But with enough repetition, whether as a mental exercise or through action—or better yet, both—they can supplant the outdated beliefs.
Automated repetitive thoughts in our mind solidify outdated core beliefs. Replacing them requires us to bombard our mind with new repetitive thoughts. To aid in this process, I often make recordings of affirmations to reinforce the new beliefs for my clients. Many of them listen to these once per day for months so they can take root and grow.
Upgrading your core beliefs is one of the greatest investments you can make as a leader. If you would like to try forming some new healthy core beliefs, you can download this free daily affirmation meditation. Click here.
Listen to it for fourteen days before deciding if you want to continue. You may find upgrading your core beliefs feels pretty good. Once you can fully recognize the damage being done by an outdated core belief, it becomes easier to then make the necessary changes.
In addition to this, ask yourself the following self-reflection questions:
Self-reflection questions:
How do my beliefs need to adapt to my current situation?
What attributes have I developed that I believe are critical to my success?
Which of these may be outdated or are creating conflict?
Where do I need to give myself permission to change?
To help uncover the blind spots of Outdated Core Beliefs on your team, ask:
What beliefs do we hold as a team that we might need to adapt?
Which attributes do we hold dear and believe are critical to our success?
Which of these may be outdated or are creating conflict?
Where do we need to give ourselves permission to change or experiment with new ways?
If you’d like to learn more about updating core beliefs, check out my book Blind Spots: How Great Leaders Uncover Problems and Unleash Performance. In it, I highlight three case studies of how leaders identified their outdated core beliefs and carried out the work to replace them. By doing so, it’s possible to not only upgrade your beliefs, but to uplevel your performance.
P.S. Want to gain invaluable insights into your blind spots right now – that’s why we built www.feedbackfriend.ai. Get the feedback you need for free today.
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Marisa Murray, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Marisa Murray is a leadership expert and executive coach with three Amazon best-sellers: Work Smart, Iterate!, and Blind Spots. She is CEO of Leaderley International and a TEDx speaker, dedicated to helping individuals and teams achieve superior performance. Her epiphany that "Blind Spots are the Key to Breakthroughs" inspired the creation of FeedbackFriend.ai, an AI-powered tool democratizing feedback access. Recognized by Manage HR magazine in the Top 10 Emerging Executive Coaching Companies for 2023, Leaderley serves clientele from the upper echelons of Fortune 500 companies. Through Marisa's writing, coaching, speaking, or 360s—her mission is to cultivate leaders that accelerate positive change.
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