Why mindset matters more than skills

You might be wondering: how important is mindset really when it comes to progressing in your career and getting promoted?

You probably think about all the tangible skills and knowledge you need and the experience you need to show that you're ready to lead.

Mindset feels like the soft stuff. The thing you can fake if you need to. Just push ahead, take action, and eventually the real confidence will show up.

I used to think this way too.

Then I started studying with a music professor who changed everything.

The professor who never starts with skills

I play the flute. And a few years ago, I started working with one of the top music professors in Europe. His students regularly get jobs in professional orchestras.

But here’s what surprised me: he doesn’t start by teaching skills.

He starts by removing what gets in the way — the fear of making mistakes, the harsh self-criticism, the need to be perfect. All the things that build up over a lifetime from how we were raised, experiences that knocked our confidence, and the stories we started telling ourselves.

I call it “tidying your mind.” He’d probably just say he’s removing what’s in the way.

His belief is simple: we all carry fears and self-doubts, but most of us run from them. We push ahead, pretend they're not there, focus on building more skills. But the fears don't go away. They stay in the background and block us when it matters most.

His approach is the opposite. Stop running. Acknowledge what's there. Work through it. That's how you actually remove it.

When I first experienced this approach, I was sceptical. Surely skills matter most?

But then I saw what happened. To his other students. And to me.

Why you perform well sometimes and not others

Think about this for a moment.

Have you ever been in a conversation where great ideas just came to you? Where you led naturally, adapted on the spot, and handled whatever came up?

And then other times, you freeze. Your mind goes blank. You don’t show the value you can bring.

Same person, same skills, but completely different results.

What’s the difference?

In the first situation, nothing was in the way. You weren’t worried about being judged. You weren’t second-guessing yourself and you just responded.

In the second situation, something was blocking you — maybe fear of getting it wrong, worry about what others think, or a voice telling you you’re not good enough.

When those things are present, it’s like trying to run with weights on your ankles. You have the ability, but you can’t use it.

The results I witnessed

I’ve watched videos of his students. Before and after — twelve months apart.

They sound like completely different people.

Not because they suddenly gained years of skill, but because the things that were blocking them were gone. They had faced them and worked through them. Now they could finally use what they already knew.

I've felt this myself. When I stopped running from my nerves and started acknowledging them, my playing improved. And more importantly, how I showed up in other areas of my life improved too.

What this means for your career

Removing what’s in your way works faster than building more skills.

Think about it. You already know more than you give yourself credit for. You’ve handled difficult situations before. You’ve had good ideas in meetings.

The question is: can you use what you know when it matters most? In the meeting with senior leaders. During your performance review. When someone challenges your expertise.

If fear or self-doubt shows up in those moments, you won’t perform at your best — no matter how skilled you are.

But when you’ve faced those fears and worked through them, you can finally use everything you’ve built up over your career.

What you can do
 

Before you start preparing for your next important presentation, do an audit first. What's holding you back? What are you afraid of? Write it all down. This is the opposite of what most of us do — we usually push these thoughts aside and hope they go away.

1. Look at it objectively and accept it exists. Don’t fight it or pretend it’s not there. Just acknowledge it: “I’m worried they’ll think I don’t know enough.” That’s okay. It’s there. Now it has less power over you.

2. Recall a time when you performed really well. A meeting where things clicked. A conversation where you handled a tough question with ease. Most likely, you weren’t overthinking — you were fully present. Find an anchor that brings you back to that state: a deep breath, a phrase you say to yourself, or pressing your feet into the floor.
   
   

I saw this work with Sarah, a senior engineer I coached. She was preparing for a big presentation to the leadership team and kept freezing up in practice runs. Her content was solid — she knew her material inside out. But something was blocking her.

When we did the audit, she wrote down: “I’m afraid they’ll ask questions I can’t answer and I’ll look incompetent.” Once she acknowledged that fear instead of pushing it away, something shifted. Then she remembered a project update she’d delivered confidently a few months back without overthinking. Her anchor became taking a slow breath and reminding herself: “I’ve done this before - I can do it again.”

The presentation went well. She handled the Q&A with ease.

Sometimes the fastest path forward isn’t learning more. It’s removing what’s blocking you from using what you already know.