The Big Problem with Scarcity Mindsets in High Performance Environments

There’s a story often told about recruitment at the Melbourne Storm.

When a potential recruit is being assessed, they’re invited to something simple – coffee, or lunch.
No drills.
No whiteboards.
No contracts.

Just a table.

And the detail everyone watches for isn’t what the player says.

It’s who pays.

The logic is subtle but sharp.
Do they reach for the bill?
Do they assume entitlement?
Do they wait?
Do they deflect responsibility?

The story is often attributed to the culture built under one of the NRL’s most celebrated coaches, Craig Bellamy – a culture obsessed not just with talent, but with character.

Because elite environments know something most don’t:

Scarcity shows up in the smallest moments.

And abundance does too.

High-performance cultures don’t usually collapse in a single moment.
They erode.

And one of the fastest, most corrosive forces behind that erosion is a scarcity mindset.

Scarcity doesn’t always look like panic or desperation.
More often, it looks reasonable.

Protective.
Defensive.
Justified.

But over time, it undermines standards, trust, and growth.

What Scarcity Looks Like in Real Estate

Scarcity thinking shows up a lot in this industry:

Buyer enquiries are hoarded to protect commission.
Knowledge is withheld, not shared.
Investment for growth is viewed as loss.
Team wins are resented, not celebrated.
Collaboration only happens when the upside is immediate.

On the surface, it feels like self-preservation.

In reality, it’s self-sabotage.

Scarcity narrows vision.
It turns colleagues into competitors.
It shifts focus from performance to protection.

And protection never builds great culture.

The Hidden Cost: Energy Drain

High-performance environments require clean energy.

Scarcity leaks it.

When people operate from fear:

Decision-making slows.
Trust collapses.
Standards become negotiable.
Collaboration becomes conditional.

Everyone becomes busy – but fewer people become effective.

This is why scarcity cultures often mistake activity for progress.

Abundance Is Not Naivety

Abundance thinking is often misunderstood as optimism without discipline.

That’s wrong.

Abundance is grounded in long-term logic.

It recognises that:

There will be more listings
There will be more buyers
There will be more opportunities – for those who remain relevant

Abundance doesn’t remove competition.
It removes insecurity.

As Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, wrote:

“The Abundance Mentality flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security.”

Powerful.

Security creates generosity.
Generosity creates trust.
Trust accelerates performance.

Growth Requires Belief in More

Scarcity thinking says:
“If you win, I lose.”

Abundance thinking says:
“If we lift the standard, everyone rises.”

This distinction is critical in leadership.

Because culture is not what you say.
It’s what people feel safe doing.

Sharing.
Asking.
Learning.
Improving.

Research from Carol Dweck, author of Mindset, consistently shows that individuals and teams who believe capability can expand outperform those who believe resources are fixed.

Scarcity freezes people.
Abundance mobilises them.

The Long Game

Scarcity focuses on the next deal.
Abundance focuses on the next decade.

One optimises for today’s anxiety.
The other builds tomorrow’s relevance.

High Performance has always belonged to those who play the longer game.