Tony Brookes is a leading thinker and speaker in the field of survival psychology – a field of psychology specifically focusing on how mindset shifts and techniques can underpin how we respond to and deal with crises and/or high stress situations. In this article, Tony explores this through the lens of the stresses and pressures associated with the current financial landscape for trust leaders and considers how our mindset as leaders can help or hinder during these times of increasing pressure and limited resources.
Financial pressure is an ever-present challenge in the current context for school and trust leaders. Changing demand for school places, growing and expanding need for special educational support, infrastructure in many areas in need of investment, and limited government funding inevitably place significant pressure on decision-making and therefore upon those who must make difficult and complex decisions.
In this demanding environment leaders can understandably sometimes find their mindset switching to one of survival and within this, particularly into a defensive mindset, which can impact their growth, resilience and ability to think creatively through the various setbacks and challenges. Ideally, leaders will recognise when this happens and when it does, seek instead to develop a growth-oriented mindset, allowing them to continue to lead with confidence and innovation even in adversity. This is, of course, all well and good in theory, but how can leaders go about cultivating this in practice?
Drawing from insights in my 2024 book Survival Psychology, this article explores how pressures (using financial pressures as a live and current example for trust leaders) impact leadership mindsets and create the risk of defensiveness or other survival orientated behaviours. I will also introduce practical strategies to counter this and to cultivate a mindset that fosters long-term success, highlighting what the great leaders do that stand them apart in these scenarios.
There are five mind-traps of survival thinking that are explored in my book. Survival thinking is much more predominant in modern life than we might think and it can impact leaders in tangible ways, holding them back from reaching more of their full potential.
Survival psychology and thinking manifests in five main ways:
- Imposter Syndrome – Doubting your competence, despite evidence to the contrary.
- Defensive Mindset – Resisting change, feedback, or learning from mistakes.
- Negative Self-Talk – Internal dialogue that fosters doubt and fear.
- The Damage Done by Ego – Allowing insecurity or competitiveness to cloud judgment.
- Group Behaviour – The ‘us vs. them’ or silo mentality that fuels division.
Recognising and escaping these ‘mind-traps’ can enable leaders to lead with greater clarity, resilience, and strategic foresight.
For this article, there will be a specific focus on Defensive Mindsets and how this can play out, particularly when dealing with financial constraints and limited resources.
The Impact of Financial Pressure on Leadership Mindsets
When faced with financial strain, leaders can feel overwhelmed and under pressure to continue to deliver even within nigh on impossible circumstances, leading to what can be termed ‘defensive decision-making’. Some of the primary stressors for you as trust leaders currently might include:
- Increasing Demand for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Support – More children are requiring more specialist support, but funding to support this remains insufficient to keep up with demand.
- Maintaining Safe and Functional Estates – Some school buildings are outdated and no longer fit for purpose, requiring urgent investment and attention.
- Finding Alternative Funding Streams – Government funding is stretched and won’t be sufficient on its own for many trusts and schools, forcing leaders to spend more time on innovation and securing new sources of income.
- Balancing Short-Term Survival with Long-Term Investment – Areas such as Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and technology can appear to have less urgent need in comparison to other more pressing areas, but are vital for sustained success and organisational development.
The way leaders perceive and respond to pressures such as these, shapes not just their own success, but also the resilience and adaptability of their organisations. If we fall into a defensive mindset as leaders, this can lead to fear-based and short-term decision-making, stagnation, and ultimately, to missed opportunities.
The Risks of a Defensive Mindset in Financially Challenging Times
A defensive mindset occurs when leaders operate from a place of fear and self-protection, driven by survival instinct rather than finding ways to intentionally move into a mindset of adaptability and learning. From my book, the following defensive behaviours can emerge, particularly under pressure:
1. Retreating into a Defensive Bubble
When resources are scarce, it’s tempting to limit decision-making horizons, focusing only on immediate or short-term survival. From a financial perspective, this could result in:
- Hesitation to explore new funding opportunities or partnerships that take time and effort to cultivate.
- Avoidance of difficult conversations about long-term investment needs and how these can be balanced with the shorter-term, immediate needs.
- Reduced willingness to take calculated risks for fear of them not paying off and resources becoming further depleted and/or how taking the risk might be perceived by others.
Example: A trust leader, faced with a budget shortfall, might reduce CPD opportunities that carry a cost in order to bridge the gap and produce a balanced budget. However, in doing so may have impacted staff productivity and satisfaction, leading to higher turnover (and greater costs) down the road.
2. Fear of Making Mistakes
Leaders operating defensively often avoid bold decisions for fear of failure and how this failure might be perceived by others. This can lead to:
- Procrastination over crucial investments, leading to worsening conditions while the investment decisions are being made.
- Resistance to adapting to changing policy and funding landscapes for fear of this landscape changing again.
- Fear of exploring alternative funding routes in case they don’t produce swift results.
Example: Instead of investing the necessary time and resources in developing innovative fundraising approaches or income generation methods, a trust sticks rigidly to funding streams that are no longer bringing through the necessary levels of funding to meet needs.
3. Fixed Mindset Towards Resource Allocation
A defensive mindset can also lead to more rigid thinking, where leaders:
- Resist adapting financial models to secure new revenue streams.
- Cut professional development, seeing it as a luxury rather than a necessity.
- Assume external support (such as grants or wider partnerships) is out of reach and will take too much time to cultivate.
Example: Some trusts may view investment in technology as a discretionary expense when facing budget cuts. However, by not investing the organisation gets left behind in areas where others are excelling and misses out on greater efficiencies and innovations, leading to higher costs in the long run and potential negative impacts.
Shifting from Defence to Growth: Strategies for Thriving Amidst Financial Pressure
Overcoming a defensive mindset (which is something that often naturally occurs in us all) requires deep self-awareness and intentional shifts in leadership behaviour. Below are proven strategies, shared in my book Survival Psychology, to help you as trust leaders to navigate financial challenges with confidence. Whilst we can’t directly do a huge amount about the levels of funding in education, we can do something about the mindset we adopt when approaching this as a high-pressure situation.
1. Reframe Financial Challenges as Growth Opportunities
Instead of seeing financial constraints as purely negative, we can use them as a catalyst for change, creativity and resilience:
- Identify where there might be hidden opportunities within budget limitations – reviewing expenditure and seeking out efficiencies and ways to do things a bit differently.
- Approach financial planning with an investment mindset, not just cost-cutting. This means identifying where investment is absolutely necessary (despite ongoing pressures) and ensuring these investments are protected as far as possible.
- See innovation in terms of funding as an ongoing, regular strategic priority, not as a reactive measure that we only do during times of difficulty and constraint.
Example: A trust facing SEND funding gaps could partner with local and national businesses, securing donations for specialist learning resources and equipment.
2. Develop a ‘Failing Forward’ Mentality
Defensive leaders fear making mistakes, but growth-oriented leaders embrace calculated risks and they continually learn from setbacks:
- Recognise that not all financial decisions will be perfect, but stagnation is a greater risk to the organisation. Perfection is often the enemy of progress.
- Encourage teams to identify and explore alternative revenue generation models. Perhaps even make this a core part of one of the executive team’s roles to fulfil.
- Model resilience by openly owning and learning from mistakes.
Example: A trust exploring ways to offer out facilities and generate some income may face some initial setbacks, but choosing to persevere and to adapt the model over time creates a sustainable revenue stream. The trust also shares ‘lessons learnt’ with others in the sector, contributing to systemic learning.
3. Build Financial Resilience Through Innovation and Creativity
To move beyond a defensive mindset, leaders should seek to explore alternative funding sources and find ways to identify creative solutions to long-standing challenges:
- Leverage public-private partnerships to share resources, funding and potentially equipment or estates
- Encourage schools to search for and to apply for grants from charitable organisations.
- Consider the development of income-generating activities such as offering out training and development expertise or school improvement expertise as an example.
Example: Some trusts have developed enterprise arms or trading subsidiaries, or are using school premises for community events, training, or business hire to generate income. We see this happening in other sectors too; for example churches are having to think outside of the box more with the use of their buildings too.
4. Prioritise Long-Term Investment (particularly CPD and people related investment)
Even in tough financial times, strategic investments must continue otherwise without them, it leaves organisations in a reactionary, short-term approach. Good examples of this include:
- People development should never be seen as a ‘nice to have’ as it ensures the workforce remains agile, equipping staff with evolving skills and it supports their sense of investment from the organisation in them as individuals.
- Investing in school estates and safety reduces higher costs and risks in the future.
- Digital transformation (e.g., AI-powered learning tools) can increase efficiency and reduce administrative costs over time.
Example: A trust leader prioritises CPD and utilisation of technology and AI, even amidst financial pressures, equips staff with skills to drive innovation and efficiency, ultimately strengthening the organisation’s resilience.
5. Cultivate a Mindset of Psychological Safety and Trust
In financially stressful times, leaders need to focus on creating environments where teams feel safe to voice concerns, experiment, and problem-solve so that all levels can contribute to addressing the pressures the organisation faces. This can be done through:
- Being open to discussions about financial realities without fear of blame attribution or judgement.
- Encouraging more cross-team or cross-function collaboration to uncover creative solutions. This also counters the silo mentality that can block connection and joint innovation.
- Celebrate the small wins to keep morale high and maintain momentum.
Example: A trust that involves all staff in many of the financial discussions encourages shared ownership and increases engagement in identifying cost-saving initiatives.
Key Takeaways for Trust Leaders
- A Defensive Mindset is Limiting – Avoiding or delaying challenges reduces innovation and weakens long-term resilience. We need to be alert to it and make a conscious effort to move into a growth mindset where possible.
- Reframe Challenges as Opportunities – Financial constraints can spark creativity and strategic thinking. Challenges can be shared and acknowledged while also considering ways in which they can be turned into opportunities to innovate or be creative.
- Failure is a Learning Tool – Experiment, adapt, and see setbacks as part of the journey. Learn from mistakes and see them as a natural part of the learning process.
- Invest in the Future – Continued investment in aspects that appear less pressing or urgent (such as CPD or technology) is what stands great strategists and leaders apart. Balancing the urgent with longer term priorities is a vital part of leadership.
- Encourage Innovation (particularly in relation to our example here around funding) – Developing partnerships, applying for grants, and developing income generating avenues can help to ease financial strain.
- Foster a Culture of Trust and Transparency – Involve staff in financial discussions (where appropriate) to create shared ownership of solutions.
Practical Actions to counter a Defensive Mindset
In a more general sense, here are some further practical tools and actions which can be applied in any leadership role, across situations that tend to make us lapse into a defensive mindset, to help us to move to a growth mindset:
Be the role model
As a leader, how you handle mistakes, failure, feedback and challenges will be a guide for others. They won’t follow what you say, they will follow how you behave. Use every opportunity to mindfully move yourself out of a defensive mindset and into a growth mindset as the model for your people.
Be prepared to own mistakes, take feedback and show some vulnerability when appropriate, as part of being a more authentic leader. If you’re willing to reflect honestly and feel either your skills or behaviour need some support, don’t hold back in looking for a psychologist, coach or trainer who can help you improve your mindset and skills as a leader.
Start with a belief in human potential and be a catalyst for the growth mindsets in others.
Stop, start, continue or improve
When you’re reflecting on mistakes, failures, blockers or feedback, look at this in 4 ways.
- What must you stop doing as a result of this?
- What must you start doing?
- What will you continue to do?
- What will you improve?
Take the learnings and make changes.
Move out of comfort zones
Notice when you’re staying in your comfort zone, either in a specific situation or in a broader sense.
Identify what 1 or 2 small steps you can take to move yourself out of your comfort zone, which you know is hindering your growth, and create a plan to do this steadily.
Have courageous conversations
Silence (or going into a passive place) can be a form of defence. It means our views aren’t expressed or heard and our valuable input can be lost. We fear upsetting people, looking stupid or challenging other people’s views. The result is we retreat into ourselves and we don’t value our own feelings and opinions enough. True growth needs us to be able to assert our position more. To say “No”. To push for change. To be clear on what we feel is right.
Push yourself out of your comfort zone more, to have courageous conversations and build this as a habitual part of your behaviour and communication style.
Don’t lose sight of the positives!
Among all the talk of challenges, failure, mistakes and critical feedback, let’s not lose sight of the good which happens within and around us. We can learn from the more negative experiences, but we can also learn and embed the positive.
Conclusion: Challenging Times Calls for Resilient Leadership
Trust leaders are navigating some of the toughest financial conditions in recent history. Yet, those who shift from a defensive mindset to a growth-oriented approach can lead their schools and communities through uncertainty with confidence and adaptability.
By reframing challenges, embracing innovation, prioritising investment, and cultivating psychological safety, leaders can set themselves apart, not just surviving financial pressures but thriving despite them. The key to resilient leadership isn’t avoiding obstacles or being limited by survival thinking; it’s developing the mindset and strategies to turn those obstacles and fears into opportunities for progress.
Tony Brookes is an author and speaker and can be contacted for follow-up discussions around this article or the wider concept of ‘survival psychology’ at tony@theleadershiptrainingworkshop.com
