Mindstuck by Michael McQueen Summary

Mindstuck explores strategies to overcome mental barriers to change and adapt to rapidly evolving environments. Drawing on decades of research, McQueen identifies common mindset traps that hinder progress and provides actionable frameworks for embracing innovation. The book combines case studies from brands like Google and Toyota with insights on AI, workplace dynamics, and cultural shifts to help readers thrive in uncertainty.

Leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals navigating industry disruption or organizational change will find Mindstuck invaluable. It’s also tailored for anyone feeling “stuck” in outdated habits, offering tools to reset thinking patterns. McQueen’s focus on future-proofing careers and businesses makes it ideal for readers in tech, management, or creative fields.

Named one of Malcolm Gladwell’s and Adam Grant’s top leadership books of 2025, Mindstuck delivers evidence-based strategies for staying relevant. Its blend of humor, real-world examples, and step-by-step action plans has earned praise from Fortune 500 executives and Forbes contributors.

• The 4 Mindset Traps: How fear of obsolescence, overreliance on past success, cultural inertia, and AI complacency stall progress.
• Adaptability Quotient (AQ): A metric for measuring responsiveness to change.
• Pre-emptive Innovation: Strategies to anticipate disruption before it occurs.

McQueen warns against over-relying on AI tools, citing examples like diminished problem-solving skills in automated workplaces. He advocates for “human-first agility”—balancing tech with critical thinking and emotional intelligence to avoid becoming professionally obsolete.

• The Relevance Audit: A 5-step process to assess and update personal or organizational practices.
• Disruption Mapping: Identifying industry “blind spots” using trend analysis.
• Psychological Safety Frameworks: Fostering cultures where experimentation thrives.

While How to Prepare Now for What’s Next (2021) focused on external trends, Mindstuck tackles internal barriers to change. It builds on The New Now’s post-COVID insights by addressing the mental blocks that persist even after structural adaptations.

Some argue it oversimplifies systemic challenges as individual mindset issues. However, most praise its actionable exercises, like the “Future Self Visualization” tool, which helps readers reframe obstacles as growth opportunities.

The book’s “Reinvention Roadmap” guides readers through skill audits, network-building, and storytelling techniques to pivot industries. McQueen shares case studies of professionals who successfully transitioned during economic downturns.

• “Your biggest competitor isn’t the startup across town—it’s the version of you that stopped evolving.”
• “Comfort zones become quicksand in times of disruption.”

McQueen analyzes “Zoom fatigue” and isolation’s impact on creativity, offering team-building exercises and hybrid work models tested by companies like Mastercard. He emphasizes maintaining human connection in digital-first environments.

It introduces the “5% Principle”—dedicating 5% of weekly hours to exploring emerging fields through micro-courses or experimental projects. This method helps build adaptability without overwhelming busy professionals.