As managers and leaders in retail, whether you’re running a supermarket, leading a convenience store, or overseeing a district of discounters, you’re lending beliefs all the time.
There’s a concept doing the rounds lately that I’m obsessed with: “borrowed beliefs.” The idea is simple: many of the things we believe aren’t truly ours. They’ve been handed to us by family, friends, bosses, or society. We absorb them, often without question, and they shape the way we see the world.
In recruitment, I see it every day—candidates limiting themselves based on beliefs that were never truly their own:
“I’m not management material.”
“Area manager roles are only for men.”
“You can’t switch from convenience to multiples.”
None of those statements are inherently true, but they get repeated so often, people internalise them. But here’s where it gets interesting: if we can borrow beliefs, we can also lend them. And as managers and leaders in retail, whether you’re running a supermarket, leading a convenience store, or overseeing a district of discounters, you’re lending beliefs all the time, whether you realise it or not.
Beliefs are contagious—so make sure yours are worth catching
Years ago, when I was managing in the discount sector, I worked under a regional manager who had a firm belief: “Every store can be top performing with the right attitude.” He didn’t just say it; he lived it. He visited stores with a notepad full of ideas, empowered his managers, and always asked, “What do you need to hit your target?” Not “Why are you behind target?” – it was a subtle shift, but one that lent us the belief in ourselves.
I saw managers go from stressed and defensive to ambitious and proactive. They started believing their stores could top the leader board because someone believed it first. That belief spread like wildfire. Sales rose, shrink dropped, and morale skyrocketed.
Contrast that with another experience in different retail group. The area manager’s favourite saying? “Head office always messes it up.” That single borrowed belief trickled down like a slow leak. Store managers blamed “the office”. Supervisors passed the buck. Staff stopped suggesting ideas. What’s the point if it’s all going to be ignored or messed up?
As leaders, we are walking belief-lending libraries. Every casual comment, about head office, about customers, about “young staff these days” is potentially being adopted by your team.
One area manager I admire says: “Head office always messes it up.” That’s right—borrowed from years of hearing a similar belief. Sure, head office has made mistakes, but progress has been solid. That story stopped suggesting progress. What’s the point if all is going to be ignored by ‘them upstairs’ anyway?
Mind the message beneath your message
When you say to your young managers, “Shift work is tough, but that’s retail for you,” are you lending resilience or resignation?
When you suggest that “you can’t trust part-timers to go the extra mile,” are you lending caution or quietly discouraging initiative?
Your beliefs become your team’s atmosphere. So ask yourself: are you creating a culture of blame or ownership? Burnout or balance?
Recruitment: Where borrowed beliefs really show up
We often see hiring managers unintentionally carry over limiting beliefs into interviews or promotion decisions. Like when they assume a candidate from the convenience sector “won’t cope with structure” in a multiple. Or that someone without formal education “won’t manage systems or KPI’s.” Or that “you need ten years in the business” to take on a regional role.
I’ve worked with hundreds of retail candidates over the years who only progressed when someone took a chance on them, when a manger lent them the belief that they could do it.
The most forward-thinking hiring managers I work with, the focus on mindset, attitude, and potential. They actively challenge their own assumptions. And more often than not, they end up with stronger teams because of it.
Spotting borrowed beliefs in your staff
A deli assistant who says she’s “not cut out for supervising.”
A young man who won’t apply for a trainee manager role because “I didn’t go to college.”
A night packer who jokes, “I’ll never get off these shifts.”
What if you stopped them in their tracks? What if you said, “You’ve got what it takes. I’ll help you build the skills,” or “That’s not a rule, it’s just something someone once said.”
Be the belief-lender they need
The Irish grocery sector is full of people who started as shelf stackers and now run regions. I’ve placed dozens of them over the years. What separates them isn’t always talent – it’s belief. Often, someone, somewhere, lent them one they could use. So, here’s your challenge this month: tune into the beliefs you’re lending. Are they opening doors or closing them?
Let your belief in your people be the spark that lights something bigger. Because while borrowed beliefs can limit, the right ones, shared with intention, can empower, uplift, and transform—and make your store an incredibly attractive environment for your new hires.
For more information call us on 01 814 8747 or email nikki@excelrecruitment.com.
