There are two mindsets necessary to be a great executive team or a great leader.

The first trait is the mindset to be a game changer. Game changers are dedicated to the idea of meaningful impact. They are bold and do not think small.

The second mindset is the growth mindset. A growth mindset means believing that we have more capacity to learn and more capacity to uncover.

A game changer mindset assists in having large impact in the moment.  A growth mindset helps us to develop over time. Both are necessary for teams and leaders.

As the graph below illustrates, the degree to which we have these mindsets determines what kinds of days we have.

A strong growth mindset without a strong game changer mindset can lead to “small” days. Things can get incrementally better, but opportunities can be lost, and real issues avoided.

A strong game changer mindset that is not supported by strong growth can lead to “glory” days. There were great days, but these are intermittent and largely in the past.

Weakness in either mindset can lead to “nesting” days. These are days where people are playing small and little growth is occurring. People in this area might say they feel stuck.

The best of both worlds is having strength in both mindsets. In this zone, a person can create big impact in the moment as well as develop new levels of performance over time. This zone is where legacies are made.

Embrace both mindsets. You and your team can step up your game and have a bigger impact. You can learn new approaches to solve problems and uncover new levels of synergy.

The next time someone tells you to have a great day, consider these two mindsets. With both of these mindsets in place, I am confident today will be a great day—and many tomorrows will be too.