We know that humans are resistant to change. We’re hard wired that way. We also know that change is all around us. If we keep doing the same thing through time, it’s only logical that someone else has figured out a better way to do whatever thing it is we’re doing, and our calcified, habitual way of working is now out of date. What was efficient is now inefficient. This is entropy—with enough time, everything falls apart. What was once good for us is now bad because there is a new best-practice that has overtaken ‘the way things have always been done.’

So yes, habits can be powerful and beneficial. They can also become an anchor to progress and detrimental to career growth. Habits can become the fast pass to a fixed mindset.

This morning, I’m going to read an excerpt from my first book, Balancing Act: Teach, Coach, Mentor, Inspire. The point of today’s Muse is to shine a bright light on our responsibility as leaders to hone the skills of self-awareness and engaging in challenging conversations.

The challenge we face is that critical thinking is hard. The easy path is to not question, not ask ‘why,’ and not dig for deeper meaning and root cause. The more difficult, but ultimately more rewarding path is to challenge fixed belief systems, internal biases, and recognize that when we deflect and point fingers at others, three more are pointing right back at us.

So what’s the connection to business? For you to succeed in your role, to be a difference maker to your colleagues and to your clients, you have to believe. Yes, you must have a baseline of technical skill and proficiency that’s laid down through years of education and training, but for the next presentation, for this sales pitch, for this budget defense, put in the work and then believe in yourself and the capabilities of your team. Have their backs so they have yours. Timidity and self-doubt at both the individual and team levels represent the fast-pass to mediocrity and disappointment.

This week, we’re going to continue the discussion on the cultural impact of return-to-office policies and their impact on employee engagement by looking at the other side of the coin—the actions of employees. When talking about organizational culture and employee engagement, it’s critical to recognize that employee engagement is a two-way street.