Now what’s your gut reaction to the position? This time, you might feel a bit more open and enthusiastic. You’re being trusted to lead a new product with great potential! Nothing ventured, nothing gained. How you react to the position, in short, depends a great deal on your mindset at the time it’s offered. Psychologists have identified two contrasting mindsets that affect our motivation and our receptiveness to new opportunities: a “prevention focus,” which orients us toward avoiding negative outcomes, and a “promotion focus,” which orients us toward pursuing positive outcomes.
