Beginner's mind

Not every newsletter I write lands perfectly. And that’s ok. I know because I ask readers to rate them. Mostly it’s rated highly, but every now and then I get an “average.” I watch the score like a hawk, forever aware of how they’re hitting home.

And when I see a flat review, my first instinct tends to want to immediately justify, explain, and defend. But that’s also the moment I usually realize that I still have something to learn. And really, there’s often more to gain from critical feedback than a generic “it was good”. So I get curious. What did I miss? Could I have expanded on an idea, or told the story a different way?

One of the traps we risk falling into as professional adults is believing that experience automatically equals wisdom. It’s a fair assumption to think that the longer we’ve been in our careers and the more leadership titles we collect, the more life we’ve lived.

There is certainly something true in that. But it comes with the risk of assuming we “know it all”.

We know how meetings go, how people behave, how change usually plays out.

And slowly, almost invisibly, curiosity is replaced by certainty… leading to rigidity.

And rigidity is one of the biggest enemies of resilience (just ask Kodak and Blockbuster).

Being resilient has never meant that we have all of the answers. It actually means that we stay open enough to keep learning when the answers aren’t immediately there.

This is where the idea of beginner’s mind becomes so powerful.

A fable: the cup that couldn’t be filled

A young man, full of energy and ambition, visits a wise Zen master and asks to be taught the path to enlightenment.

The master invites him in and offers him tea.

As the young man launches into a list of all the books he’s read, all the teachers he’s studied with, all the practices he’s already mastered, the master begins to pour the tea.

And keeps pouring.

And pouring.

The tea overflows the cup, spilling onto the table. Still, the master keeps pouring.

“Stop!” the student finally shouts. “It’s full! No more will go in!”

The master sets the pot down and smiles in his calm Zen-smiley-kind-of-way.

“Exactly,” he says. “You are like this cup, so full of your own opinions, ideas, and certainties, that nothing new can enter. First, you must empty your cup.”

Beginner’s mind at work.

In 2026, where pressure is high and certainty is rare, the space we create by “emptying our cup” might be the most important space we create.

In the workplace, beginner’s mind is what allows:

• Leaders to listen instead of defend

• Teams to innovate rather than replicate

• Cultures to evolve instead of stagnate

• Individuals to grow, not just grind

And, perhaps most importantly, a beginner’s mind strengthens our ability to respond flexibly in fast-changing conditions. It can reduce our defensiveness, soften our ego and skyrocket our adaptability.

Many workplaces celebrate decisiveness and expertise and confidence. All important in the workplace, but, if taken too far, they create cultures where people stop asking questions, start hiding mistakes and curiosity then feels risky. That, in turn, slows down new ideas and innovation.

So here are 4 practical ways to apply beginner’s mind at work.

1. Replace certainty with curiosity. Everyone loves that wonderful dart scene from Ted Lasso (damn that was a good show!). It’s all about curiosity and is such a good metaphor for life and work. When stress rises, certainty feels comforting and we tend to revert to the default setting of what we’ve always believed. But that certainty closes doors. The path forward involves asking questions. Sounds basic but it helps us learn about people and processes. If we’re in a disagreement, instead of defending our point, we can simply ask “what am I not seeing here?” Let curiosity lead.

2. Separate experience from identity. Experience is certainly valuable, but it’s not our identity. When people remind us that they’ve been doing something for 20 years, it’s usually code for feeling threatened about any sort of change. Beginner’s mind allows growth without ego. The best leaders and mentors bring wisdom, not final answers. And the greatest leaders encourage us to find the answers on our own. When facing change or disruption, it’s ok to acknowledge our expertise, but we can still ask what we might learn if we stop clinging to what we already know.

3. Start as a learner first. In high-pressure environments, we often enter conversations ready to defend, but a beginner’s mind invites a different posture. Before our next difficult meeting, we can make the deliberate choice to seek to understand before responding. That single intention will reduce conflict, increase trust, and also just make us more likeable in the moment (building bridges!). That helps communication strengthen and trust is also a massive resilience multiplier. Make space to notice what actually is.

4. Practice “emptying the cup.” Whenever I interview someone, I like to ask this question: “when was the last time you changed your mind about something important?” I’m looking for an example of an open mind to new ideas and want to make sure they won’t cling to assumptions built on autopilot. This is a great question to also ask ourselves every so often too. It keeps us honest and helps us foster an open mind to new ideas. (perhaps worth taking a minute now to come up with an answer. 😉)

These small shifts are how mental flexibility builds over time. We train resilience like a muscle by letting go of needing to control or predict, and instead cultivating the capacity to respond and grow.

Resilience is built by emptying the cup just enough so our growth has somewhere to land.

And maybe that’s the real foundation we’re all trying to build.

Until next time friends, stay resilient.

Carré @ Resilient Minds

PS - if you have a second, please rate today’s newsletter below, or you can also hit reply and send me feedback directly. I always appreciate it!