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Executive Toughness: The Mental-Training Program to Increase Your Leadership Performance
Take your professional game to the next level―in 100 seconds o r less! People with inborn talent may be good at what they do―but only the mentally tough reach the highest plateaus in their field. And here’s the best news of all: mental toughness is something anyone can learn. Director of mental training for the St. Louis Cardinals and a top-tier executive coach, Dr. Jason Selk knows everything there is to know about developing the mental toughness required for achieving any goal you set for yourself. In fact, the techniques he outlines in this book are the same ones he used to help the Cardinals defeat the heavily favored Detroit Tigers in the 2006 World Series. Inspired on the vision of legendary basketball coach John Wooden, Selk’s program is as simple as it is effective. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. You have to put effort into your drive to success; it’s the only way to build up your mental “muscles.” Selk provides hands-on daily exercises for breaking old, self-defeating patterns of behavior and replacing them with the can-do attitude and positive behavior that would make Coach Wooden proud. Executive Toughness outlines the three fundamentals for attaining high-level success: ACCOUNTABILITY ―admit to mistakes, correct them, and, most important, learn from them
FOCUS ―on your strengths, on winning, on reaching your goal . . . for only 100 seconds per day
OPTIMISM ―don’t just believe you can succeed, know you can succeed Executive Toughness takes you through the steps of making these critical behaviors part of your everyday routine. Practice your accountability, focus, and optimism, and you’ll be on the path to attaining your goals; make them part of your mental “DNA,” and there will be no turning back―ever. A complete regimen from a leading expert on developing the mindset for attaining goals, Executive Toughness is your workout for ultimate success in your career and in your life.
FOCUS ―on your strengths, on winning, on reaching your goal . . . for only 100 seconds per day
OPTIMISM ―don’t just believe you can succeed, know you can succeed Executive Toughness takes you through the steps of making these critical behaviors part of your everyday routine. Practice your accountability, focus, and optimism, and you’ll be on the path to attaining your goals; make them part of your mental “DNA,” and there will be no turning back―ever. A complete regimen from a leading expert on developing the mindset for attaining goals, Executive Toughness is your workout for ultimate success in your career and in your life.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 2011
147 people are currently reading
1065 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 31, 2020
Many (possibly the vast majority) of business books are not really ‘books’ in the sense that they are intended to be read for the sake of their ideas, let alone their prose.
If they are read, it is so that their maxims can be repeated to others within the firm, demonstrating loyalty. They are books only in the sense that they are physical book-like objects. Really, they are objects of ritual exchange. And business authors are less idea-crafters than hierophants, dedicated to helping senior management perpetuate the sacred mystery, or, when necessary, reinterpret it a little in congenial ways.
-- Henry Farrell, 'Why Are Business Gurus Overconfident Jerks?'
I normally avoid (like a prose plague) ALL business, leadership, self-help, and strategy books, etc., because I find them universally to be poorly written and filled with an almost boundless and unbearable number of cliches, hyperbole, etc..
I was given this book by a co-worker and felt compelled to read it. I also felt a need to at least recognize my own deep cynicism and bias about the whole genre. Maybe, my fear/gag-reflex was misplaced. Perhaps, I had judged the whole genre by a couple really, really bad apples.
Nope. It was everything I feared. I knew it was bad when I was underlining the parts that made me laugh. I needed another pen for all the parts that made me squirm.
Here is an example from his chapter on scripts:
"Scripts can be equally useful to meet your nonwork goals. For example, you may have a script like the following to use with one of your children when he or she is having a difficult day:
How about if you tell me what is going on, and I will promise to help. [Pause while listening to the problem.] I can understand why you are upset. Life is sometimes tough, isn't it? I know I have said it a thousand times, but I am going to say it again I love you. I think I can help. Let's see if we can come up with a couple of solutions to the problem -- anything that can make your situation a little bit better. I'll even go first: what do you think about [quick solution]? Your turn for the next one ..."
Seriously? My kids would eat me alive (devour me clothes and all) if I attempted to script them like that. I can't even imagine what my wife would do. The horror. The horror.
If they are read, it is so that their maxims can be repeated to others within the firm, demonstrating loyalty. They are books only in the sense that they are physical book-like objects. Really, they are objects of ritual exchange. And business authors are less idea-crafters than hierophants, dedicated to helping senior management perpetuate the sacred mystery, or, when necessary, reinterpret it a little in congenial ways.
-- Henry Farrell, 'Why Are Business Gurus Overconfident Jerks?'
I normally avoid (like a prose plague) ALL business, leadership, self-help, and strategy books, etc., because I find them universally to be poorly written and filled with an almost boundless and unbearable number of cliches, hyperbole, etc..
I was given this book by a co-worker and felt compelled to read it. I also felt a need to at least recognize my own deep cynicism and bias about the whole genre. Maybe, my fear/gag-reflex was misplaced. Perhaps, I had judged the whole genre by a couple really, really bad apples.
Nope. It was everything I feared. I knew it was bad when I was underlining the parts that made me laugh. I needed another pen for all the parts that made me squirm.
Here is an example from his chapter on scripts:
"Scripts can be equally useful to meet your nonwork goals. For example, you may have a script like the following to use with one of your children when he or she is having a difficult day:
How about if you tell me what is going on, and I will promise to help. [Pause while listening to the problem.] I can understand why you are upset. Life is sometimes tough, isn't it? I know I have said it a thousand times, but I am going to say it again I love you. I think I can help. Let's see if we can come up with a couple of solutions to the problem -- anything that can make your situation a little bit better. I'll even go first: what do you think about [quick solution]? Your turn for the next one ..."
Seriously? My kids would eat me alive (devour me clothes and all) if I attempted to script them like that. I can't even imagine what my wife would do. The horror. The horror.
May 23, 2015
I'm not a fan of the title... it's really a book for *anyone* interested in personal growth. It is easy to read, and contains many of the tools I recognize to have been effective in my own life and business.
It puts a great collection of self improvement tools into a step-by-step, actionable plan.
As a result, I will be making improvements to how I do my own coaching and mentoring.
I'd recommend this book to all coaches -- whether they help clients transform in their business, personal development, sports, leadership, executive, parenting, health, or happiness.
*******
Here are my favorite ideas and practices from the book... from my perspective... which might not be exactly from the book but it's inspired by its ideas:
Channel theory: 3 things only…
Why: easy to keep piling on things thus diluting everything in the list, losing focus.
—Habit: choose only up to 3 things for life/business focus
Top 3 life priority areas
Why: distraction often seem important. This daily focus on the top 3 creates a life you actually want.
Eg Spiritual Growth, Healthy Living, True Livelihood (if I get those 3 right, my relationship will go right too, but not other way around.)
—Determine your top 3 life areas. Other areas to consider: Relationship, Family, Money, Physical Environment, Hobbies
Self-communication
What you consistently say to yourself
Why: Manage that and you manage your subconscious self image. When you do that it works like a thermostat of success: your self-image will automatically regulate your behaviors and even your outcomes until your life falls within the range of your self-image!
If set thermostat at 70f and temp falls to 69f it sends signal to heater to relentlessly heat until gets back to 70f. Similarly you'll find mysterious energy, motivation and "luck" when your performance falls below your self image.
E.g. Many lottery winners file for bankruptcy within 5 years of winning bc no matter how much money they have if their self image says they're bad at managing money their life thermostat will confirm it.
---Become aware of your self-communication
Ideal Life Vision
—Answer this:
How you would love to behave daily?
What you'd like your life to look & feel like?
Give specific details, including numbers,
whatever would make you happy…
Examples:
What type of space are you working in? What type of results are you getting? What type of schedule? What kind of people are you working with? How are you being when with them? (How are you performing?) If being organized is important what do you see that is proof of it (e.g. a clean inbox, a clear desk)? If recognition is important what awards or accolades or social media metrics? How much are you earning per month or year? How many clients are you serving? Where are you living? What inspiring sensory details? Who are you living with? What are they doing? What are they saying to you? What happy healthy activities are you doing together? How is your health and what is evidence of it?
—Make sure your Top 3 Life Goals each has a number to measure where you are now and where you want to be. Simply can be “on a scale of 1 to 10, how am I doing in this area…” This allows you to track progress over time.
—Include inspiring yet achievable time frame for 1 important goal per your 3 priorities. Eg "I am on track to be earning $150,000/year from my business by June 2016." Or "I am becoming the best spouse I can be— going from a 6 to a 9 by my spouse's next birthday."
—Trim your vision so you can read it in 2 minutes. Have it be focused on your top 3.
—Plan this Habit: Use it daily, either first thing in the morning, or right before bed. Plus, anytime you need motivation to take action!
—Plan this Habit: revisit your Life Vision every 3 months to update it.
Key Process Goals (KPG)
Why: Society defines success as Product (end/event) goals, but only having product (end) goals without KPG is too much pressure and fantasy. Redefining success as achieving your regular process goals will actually make it more likely for you to achieve your product goals. KPG tells your subconscious that your product goals are actually achievable. As you meet your KPGs you experience success along the way and build your confidence and capabilities. Allows you to focus your behaviors on your top priorities in life. Truth: you cannot possibly do everything every day that you convince yourself needs to be done. You need to do fewer but more impactful things. KPG assures that you stay focused.
—Create 1-3 KPGs for each of your top 3 priorities. Ensure that it's designed such that if you do your KPGs you are likely to achieve your product goals. Usually daily or each working day, but could be other rhythm as long as consistent and could realistically reach process goal.
—To ensure you have the important stuff, create a list of everything you do in a typical week for each of your Top 3 Life Priorities. For example if you have a Business priority some of your tasks may include: answering emails, organizing documents, meeting with clients, reading about your industry, etc. Then rank the tasks by *most* to least important.
—Separate each of your list of tasks into 3 categories: (1) What is already habituated. (2) What you MOST want to habituate now, in other words, the #1 KPG for this life area that you’d like to focus on for the next three months. (3) Habits that are also important to create, but will focus on it after you’ve habituated your #1 KPG.
---Revisit your list every 3 months, and if any have become truly a habit without need for willpower, add a new one in its place. You would rather solidify 3-6 good habits per year than fail at forming 10-20.
—Be sure to write these down. Research has shown that people are far more likely to achieve their goals if they wrote them down. You might even want to rewrite these priorities once a week, or even daily.
—If possible, tell someone your KPGs… if you have a coach, ask them to help keep you lovingly accountable to these.
Examples of KPGs for a coaching business: Make progress in book-writing for 15 minutes daily. Reach out to 2 potential webinar hosts Monday through Friday. Upload a 4-minute video to social media everyday. Get to inbox zero M-F. Spend 60 minutes working on productive biz-building project M-W. Completing 5m mental workout daily. Taking 3m to do your daily success log. Read book or blog to improve your area of expertise for 15m M-F.
Examples of KPGs for personal life areas:
Read 5-15m of spiritual book daily and write down 1 idea or story learned.
Complete 5m mental workout daily.
Do 3 holistic pauses each day eg once every other hour during working day.
Eat 5 servings of fresh vegetables daily.
Brisk walk for at least 15m each day.
Do at least 10 push-ups and 20 sit-ups daily.
Dance for at least 5m daily with music.
Daily ask spouse about highlights of the day and thoughts, and take at least 10m to listen intently and acknowledge.
If you don't prioritize your KPGs, no one else will.
—Protect them like you do your appointments with clients. Do your KPGs is if they were client appointments. You are your most important client!
—Schedule your KPGs earlier in day if possible: more willpower and if all you got done were your KPGs for the day, it's a good and productive day. You'd rather do nothing else except your KPGs.
—Everything else feels lighter after you've done your KPGs.
—ETS: “emphasize the start.” e.g. Contact 5 prospective referral partners? Focus your energy on contacting the first one. Work for 90m on a project? Focus on the first 5 minutes. Your dreams will be realized if you emphasize the start for your key process goals. ETS KPG.
Daily Success Log (DSL)
Ritualize the daily completion of a success log.
Score 1-10 how well I did each KPG
What I did well in my KPGs
(important for reinforcing good behavior and builds confidence)
What 1 improvement I can make to each KPG
How improvements will be made
Try this daily for 1 week and if it helps you, keep doing it!
Without daily evaluation and improvement of your KPGs they will be forgotten over time because of all the distractions of life.
Quarterly Evaluations
Schedule 30m each 3 months into your calendar for this.
Will be powerful journal of personal development over time.
On a percentage scale how close are you to reaching your Product Goals?
What do you need to change if anything to allow you to better reach your Product goals?
How are your KPGs going? Scale of 1-10 for each.
If 9 or 10, plan a reward for yourself.
If lower, plan changes into your schedule to allow KPGs more success.
Follow through on that treat in the next 7 days!
Daily 3 Minute Mental Workout
Centering breath, easy deep eg 5 in, hold 2, out 7.
Ideal Life Vision:
First person
Feel the emotions
Visualize for 30s an important project and how you will start it today. ETS.
Centering breath
Ideal Schedule
3 things you'd love to do weekly for fun
Sketch out your ideal schedule:
KPGs: prioritize
Daily success log
Daily mental workout
preparing client appts
deepening your knowledge about your field
Fun time with family, friends
Daily enough wind down time, sleep, naps, exercise
Here is how I spend my work hours: http://j.mp/SLoJbP
If digital calendar use the repeating function.
If paper calendar, hand write them daily for the next 12 months. Yes it's that important.
It takes continual tweaking.
RSF
(Relentless Solution Focus)
Expectancy theory: what you focus on, what you expect, expands.
Talking about problems leads to more problems.
Evolution & society are not on our side
Within 60 seconds replace ALL problem thinking with solutions thinking
What do you want?
What is one doable step to get there?
This takes training. It is NOT natural at first but through repetition, it BECOMES natural. I can attest to that. Easy to fall back so we need to keep reminding each other.
My video book review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mCwL...
It puts a great collection of self improvement tools into a step-by-step, actionable plan.
As a result, I will be making improvements to how I do my own coaching and mentoring.
I'd recommend this book to all coaches -- whether they help clients transform in their business, personal development, sports, leadership, executive, parenting, health, or happiness.
*******
Here are my favorite ideas and practices from the book... from my perspective... which might not be exactly from the book but it's inspired by its ideas:
Channel theory: 3 things only…
Why: easy to keep piling on things thus diluting everything in the list, losing focus.
—Habit: choose only up to 3 things for life/business focus
Top 3 life priority areas
Why: distraction often seem important. This daily focus on the top 3 creates a life you actually want.
Eg Spiritual Growth, Healthy Living, True Livelihood (if I get those 3 right, my relationship will go right too, but not other way around.)
—Determine your top 3 life areas. Other areas to consider: Relationship, Family, Money, Physical Environment, Hobbies
Self-communication
What you consistently say to yourself
Why: Manage that and you manage your subconscious self image. When you do that it works like a thermostat of success: your self-image will automatically regulate your behaviors and even your outcomes until your life falls within the range of your self-image!
If set thermostat at 70f and temp falls to 69f it sends signal to heater to relentlessly heat until gets back to 70f. Similarly you'll find mysterious energy, motivation and "luck" when your performance falls below your self image.
E.g. Many lottery winners file for bankruptcy within 5 years of winning bc no matter how much money they have if their self image says they're bad at managing money their life thermostat will confirm it.
---Become aware of your self-communication
Ideal Life Vision
—Answer this:
How you would love to behave daily?
What you'd like your life to look & feel like?
Give specific details, including numbers,
whatever would make you happy…
Examples:
What type of space are you working in? What type of results are you getting? What type of schedule? What kind of people are you working with? How are you being when with them? (How are you performing?) If being organized is important what do you see that is proof of it (e.g. a clean inbox, a clear desk)? If recognition is important what awards or accolades or social media metrics? How much are you earning per month or year? How many clients are you serving? Where are you living? What inspiring sensory details? Who are you living with? What are they doing? What are they saying to you? What happy healthy activities are you doing together? How is your health and what is evidence of it?
—Make sure your Top 3 Life Goals each has a number to measure where you are now and where you want to be. Simply can be “on a scale of 1 to 10, how am I doing in this area…” This allows you to track progress over time.
—Include inspiring yet achievable time frame for 1 important goal per your 3 priorities. Eg "I am on track to be earning $150,000/year from my business by June 2016." Or "I am becoming the best spouse I can be— going from a 6 to a 9 by my spouse's next birthday."
—Trim your vision so you can read it in 2 minutes. Have it be focused on your top 3.
—Plan this Habit: Use it daily, either first thing in the morning, or right before bed. Plus, anytime you need motivation to take action!
—Plan this Habit: revisit your Life Vision every 3 months to update it.
Key Process Goals (KPG)
Why: Society defines success as Product (end/event) goals, but only having product (end) goals without KPG is too much pressure and fantasy. Redefining success as achieving your regular process goals will actually make it more likely for you to achieve your product goals. KPG tells your subconscious that your product goals are actually achievable. As you meet your KPGs you experience success along the way and build your confidence and capabilities. Allows you to focus your behaviors on your top priorities in life. Truth: you cannot possibly do everything every day that you convince yourself needs to be done. You need to do fewer but more impactful things. KPG assures that you stay focused.
—Create 1-3 KPGs for each of your top 3 priorities. Ensure that it's designed such that if you do your KPGs you are likely to achieve your product goals. Usually daily or each working day, but could be other rhythm as long as consistent and could realistically reach process goal.
—To ensure you have the important stuff, create a list of everything you do in a typical week for each of your Top 3 Life Priorities. For example if you have a Business priority some of your tasks may include: answering emails, organizing documents, meeting with clients, reading about your industry, etc. Then rank the tasks by *most* to least important.
—Separate each of your list of tasks into 3 categories: (1) What is already habituated. (2) What you MOST want to habituate now, in other words, the #1 KPG for this life area that you’d like to focus on for the next three months. (3) Habits that are also important to create, but will focus on it after you’ve habituated your #1 KPG.
---Revisit your list every 3 months, and if any have become truly a habit without need for willpower, add a new one in its place. You would rather solidify 3-6 good habits per year than fail at forming 10-20.
—Be sure to write these down. Research has shown that people are far more likely to achieve their goals if they wrote them down. You might even want to rewrite these priorities once a week, or even daily.
—If possible, tell someone your KPGs… if you have a coach, ask them to help keep you lovingly accountable to these.
Examples of KPGs for a coaching business: Make progress in book-writing for 15 minutes daily. Reach out to 2 potential webinar hosts Monday through Friday. Upload a 4-minute video to social media everyday. Get to inbox zero M-F. Spend 60 minutes working on productive biz-building project M-W. Completing 5m mental workout daily. Taking 3m to do your daily success log. Read book or blog to improve your area of expertise for 15m M-F.
Examples of KPGs for personal life areas:
Read 5-15m of spiritual book daily and write down 1 idea or story learned.
Complete 5m mental workout daily.
Do 3 holistic pauses each day eg once every other hour during working day.
Eat 5 servings of fresh vegetables daily.
Brisk walk for at least 15m each day.
Do at least 10 push-ups and 20 sit-ups daily.
Dance for at least 5m daily with music.
Daily ask spouse about highlights of the day and thoughts, and take at least 10m to listen intently and acknowledge.
If you don't prioritize your KPGs, no one else will.
—Protect them like you do your appointments with clients. Do your KPGs is if they were client appointments. You are your most important client!
—Schedule your KPGs earlier in day if possible: more willpower and if all you got done were your KPGs for the day, it's a good and productive day. You'd rather do nothing else except your KPGs.
—Everything else feels lighter after you've done your KPGs.
—ETS: “emphasize the start.” e.g. Contact 5 prospective referral partners? Focus your energy on contacting the first one. Work for 90m on a project? Focus on the first 5 minutes. Your dreams will be realized if you emphasize the start for your key process goals. ETS KPG.
Daily Success Log (DSL)
Ritualize the daily completion of a success log.
Score 1-10 how well I did each KPG
What I did well in my KPGs
(important for reinforcing good behavior and builds confidence)
What 1 improvement I can make to each KPG
How improvements will be made
Try this daily for 1 week and if it helps you, keep doing it!
Without daily evaluation and improvement of your KPGs they will be forgotten over time because of all the distractions of life.
Quarterly Evaluations
Schedule 30m each 3 months into your calendar for this.
Will be powerful journal of personal development over time.
On a percentage scale how close are you to reaching your Product Goals?
What do you need to change if anything to allow you to better reach your Product goals?
How are your KPGs going? Scale of 1-10 for each.
If 9 or 10, plan a reward for yourself.
If lower, plan changes into your schedule to allow KPGs more success.
Follow through on that treat in the next 7 days!
Daily 3 Minute Mental Workout
Centering breath, easy deep eg 5 in, hold 2, out 7.
Ideal Life Vision:
First person
Feel the emotions
Visualize for 30s an important project and how you will start it today. ETS.
Centering breath
Ideal Schedule
3 things you'd love to do weekly for fun
Sketch out your ideal schedule:
KPGs: prioritize
Daily success log
Daily mental workout
preparing client appts
deepening your knowledge about your field
Fun time with family, friends
Daily enough wind down time, sleep, naps, exercise
Here is how I spend my work hours: http://j.mp/SLoJbP
If digital calendar use the repeating function.
If paper calendar, hand write them daily for the next 12 months. Yes it's that important.
It takes continual tweaking.
RSF
(Relentless Solution Focus)
Expectancy theory: what you focus on, what you expect, expands.
Talking about problems leads to more problems.
Evolution & society are not on our side
Within 60 seconds replace ALL problem thinking with solutions thinking
What do you want?
What is one doable step to get there?
This takes training. It is NOT natural at first but through repetition, it BECOMES natural. I can attest to that. Easy to fall back so we need to keep reminding each other.
My video book review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mCwL...
April 18, 2022
A good professional coaching book for self-organizing and self-priotizing. I liked the fact that each chapter begins with with a relevant to chapter's topic story and connects it throughout. It noteworthy that author covers also difficult conditions, such as parenting etc and maintains a realistic approach. I'm not much convinced that by following these practices guarantees a career advancement but it's definetely a good start.
December 17, 2020
Great book with direction for success
This book is:
Easy to consume
Easy to implement
Easy to win
Read this, do this, win this. You and the people you love deserve it.
This book is:
Easy to consume
Easy to implement
Easy to win
Read this, do this, win this. You and the people you love deserve it.
May 6, 2014
Here's a good book on performance and mental toughness, which complements well what I've been reading on deliberate practice and the importance of self-discipline. Jason Selk also provides some tools and concrete strategies to help the reader practice mental toughness. He gave good examples to illustrate the ideas in his book.
June 21, 2019
Complete your process goals every day, no excuses.
Commit to replacing all negative or problem-focused thought with solution focused thinking within 60 seconds.
Complete mental workouts and success logs five days per week.
Commit to replacing all negative or problem-focused thought with solution focused thinking within 60 seconds.
Complete mental workouts and success logs five days per week.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2016
Several points stick to my mind:
1) identify your IAS
2) script what you need to be said
3) relentless solution based.. never easily give up
4) your purpose and priorities
1) identify your IAS
2) script what you need to be said
3) relentless solution based.. never easily give up
4) your purpose and priorities
May 23, 2020
First, just to get it out of the way, this book suffers from a poor title; clearly Selk was trying to tap into the giant CEO / leadership / "toughness" paper mill that exists out there -- I think it is misleading and might make some folks discount the utility and seriousness of the book. This book is for anyone trying to either improve or optimize their performance; if you have a goal (or maybe even lack goals), this book can help you, I'm sure.
But, moving on...
I was interested in this book because I loved Selk and Bartow's "Organize Tomorrow Today" book and also because I realized I need some practical advice on how to fix a few things I have observed about myself in the course of reading a lot books in this paper mill tornado vortex of books (I should've written a book of my own by now!). This book delivers. Selk is thoroughly, obsessively focused on practical small steps to take daily to deliver success. Over the course of his book, he takes you through exercises and steps to improve your mindset, your preparation, and your execution. They're challenging, but simple.
The true test will be one year from now...will I have done the steps and completed the exercises...or will I have let myself down?
But, moving on...
I was interested in this book because I loved Selk and Bartow's "Organize Tomorrow Today" book and also because I realized I need some practical advice on how to fix a few things I have observed about myself in the course of reading a lot books in this paper mill tornado vortex of books (I should've written a book of my own by now!). This book delivers. Selk is thoroughly, obsessively focused on practical small steps to take daily to deliver success. Over the course of his book, he takes you through exercises and steps to improve your mindset, your preparation, and your execution. They're challenging, but simple.
The true test will be one year from now...will I have done the steps and completed the exercises...or will I have let myself down?
March 13, 2023
This week, I return to an old favorite book of mine after a exactly a decade – something that I read around this time in 2013. This book has been an inspiration for me, and has influenced me in my journey – so I have to say I did reread it with a bit of trepidation. Sometimes when you reread an old book which you love, it disappoints you – I’m glad to say this one didn’t.
Even though the book claims “executive toughness” – the scope of the book is not limited to executives. It is applicable for anyone, and many of the examples are from sports. In fact, the whole premise of the book is based on the life and philosophy of two legendary coaches - Coach John Wooden and Coach and Olympic hold medalist Dan Gable.
This is a great read - short, effective and simple. Highly recommended.
Even though the book claims “executive toughness” – the scope of the book is not limited to executives. It is applicable for anyone, and many of the examples are from sports. In fact, the whole premise of the book is based on the life and philosophy of two legendary coaches - Coach John Wooden and Coach and Olympic hold medalist Dan Gable.
This is a great read - short, effective and simple. Highly recommended.
January 7, 2020
The definition of success differs from person to person. The path to what we desire and envision as success is not an easy endeavour. It takes mental thoughness and discipline to shape yourself into becoming the sucessful person you seek to be. The book will provide you with a clear process for how you can get to those end milestones that define your success.
It is then up to you to follow the ‘Yellow brick road’. :)
It is then up to you to follow the ‘Yellow brick road’. :)
January 14, 2020
I found this book to be very useful.
The concepts Dr Selk covers are not complicated, they’re pretty logical and straight forward, but so far I have seen a spike in productivity in both personal life and career wise. Only reason I gave it 4 stars was because some examples were more theoretical and some chapters did drag out longer than they should’ve. That being said, it was an overall great book to read and would recommend.
The concepts Dr Selk covers are not complicated, they’re pretty logical and straight forward, but so far I have seen a spike in productivity in both personal life and career wise. Only reason I gave it 4 stars was because some examples were more theoretical and some chapters did drag out longer than they should’ve. That being said, it was an overall great book to read and would recommend.
December 12, 2022
The book is good, but it more like a framework to achieve success for who is already mentally strong. Who is already disciplined.
If you are looking for insights on how to get mentally stronger I think this book will not help you a lot.
If you are already mentally strong and want to improve it even more or want a framework to work in your life this book can help you.
If you are looking for insights on how to get mentally stronger I think this book will not help you a lot.
If you are already mentally strong and want to improve it even more or want a framework to work in your life this book can help you.
April 27, 2020
The stay-at-home order seemed like a good excuse for some introspection and, contrary to the impression the cover might give, this book was a great guide for goal setting and priorities regardless of whether you're in the work force. Great exercises and insights.
July 4, 2021
We need to put willpower into the task at hand. Finalize it well and in the timeframe we’d set for ourselves, putting in the amount of energy that allows us to get “more out” than what we’d aimed for. Never give up or neglect the quality of the mission we set out to accomplish.
Inspiring book!
Inspiring book!
July 24, 2021
Very Helpful
Puts lots of material you may have run across elsewhere in one simple format and plan that has worked for world champion athletes and here is applied to business executives.
Lots of handy actionable takeaways.
Puts lots of material you may have run across elsewhere in one simple format and plan that has worked for world champion athletes and here is applied to business executives.
Lots of handy actionable takeaways.
June 17, 2017
Accountability, focus and optimism. This book reinforces my learning in NLP.
July 4, 2017
idea of process goals is key
December 6, 2020
I liked it, it mentions things that I believe in and reinforces them.
There are few tricks mentioned like RSF mental workouts gable discipline tht will help everyone in their pursue.
There are few tricks mentioned like RSF mental workouts gable discipline tht will help everyone in their pursue.
May 5, 2021
If you did sports in highschool this is a book that you could relate to enough to inspire change. I did like the outlook and overall concepts discussed.
December 10, 2022
Brilliant
January 22, 2025
Good leadership book on focusing on the right priorities, getting stuff done, and having a clear positive, mental focus while doing so.
May 4, 2025
OWNERSHIP, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND NO EXCUSES. In business winning isn’t about controlling every outcome, but about controlling how you prepare, perform, and connect with your team. When you mess up, don’t make excuses or explanations - just own it, apologize, and try to fix it. And remember, if you apologize but give a reason, you’re not really apologizing.
THOUGHT CONTROL AND SELF-IMAGE. How you direct your thoughts, all day, impacts everything - most people overrate themselves, but more progress comes when you honestly evaluate where you fall short and face it. Self-image is key: you’ll never perform consistently above (or below) how you see yourself, so focus on building a higher vision and repeat it until it sticks. Use visualization daily (even 30 seconds is useful) to reinforce your purpose and core priorities, and let your self-image drive your habits and performance. If you let others define you, you’ll live their prophecy, not your potential - choose your circle wisely.
MENTAL REHEARSAL ROUTINE. Just 100 seconds daily: centering breath (6-2-7), identity statement, a short mental movie in your own eyes of you doing the right things and keeping integrity. Always visualize from first-person, at real-world speed, and only short, key moments. If you feel a “missing” emotion in a situation (like confidence with strangers), mentally rehearse that exact feeling in that exact scene until your brain brings it up automatically.
FOCUS ON PROCESS, NOT JUST OUTCOMES. Like a great sports coach, emphasize what you can control: your technique, your prep, your day-to-day wins. Set clear process goals (not just result goals) - like time with family, regular team touchpoints, daily steps marked up on the wall. Success isn’t about perfection; it’s about honest, positive day-by-day improvement.
DAILY AND SEASONAL EVALUATION. Keep a “daily performance log” - what went well, what’s vital for tomorrow, what could improve, how your priorities rank. Recognize and praise people daily for things done well. But also step back for quarterly “reality checks” and measure yourself hard against real results, not just hopeful progress.
DO LESS, BUT DO IT WELL. Don’t waste time researching everything - figure out the “bare minimum” info you need for confidence and competence, then act. Over-analysis kills action.
ELIMINATE MULTITASKING. Focus on starting, not finishing everything at once. Stop multitasking. Build a “not-to-do list” for the distractions and activities that shouldn’t even make the cut. Performance matters, not perfection - evaluate yourself honestly, and remember that how you see yourself sets the tone for what others see.
IDEAL AROUSAL STATE AND TASK MATCHING. The book says to train yourself to recognize and intentionally set your mental energy to match the task - on a scale from 1-10. For some situations (like dealing with employees), you need to get pumped; other times, chill. Practice what level works for what job, and learn to adjust up or down as needed.
RELENTLESS SOLUTION FOCUS. You only focus on one thing at a time, so train that “one thing” to be solutions (even tiny ones). The more you dwell on problems (in the news, in relationships, in meetings), the more you find - but if you refocus again and again on solutions, your brain follows. In teams, don’t just keep offering your own fixes - ask the team what they’d change, too.
DISCIPLINE, WILLPOWER, AND ENVIRONMENT. No one can eliminate negative thinking, but with practice, you can catch most of it and redirect. Discipline isn’t about 10/10 iron will, but about matching your values and priorities to what you actually do. Maybe you don’t need “more” discipline, just focus in the areas that matter most to you, and a supportive environment - don’t buy junk food, so you don’t have to rely on self-control every time you open the fridge.
THOUGHT CONTROL AND SELF-IMAGE. How you direct your thoughts, all day, impacts everything - most people overrate themselves, but more progress comes when you honestly evaluate where you fall short and face it. Self-image is key: you’ll never perform consistently above (or below) how you see yourself, so focus on building a higher vision and repeat it until it sticks. Use visualization daily (even 30 seconds is useful) to reinforce your purpose and core priorities, and let your self-image drive your habits and performance. If you let others define you, you’ll live their prophecy, not your potential - choose your circle wisely.
MENTAL REHEARSAL ROUTINE. Just 100 seconds daily: centering breath (6-2-7), identity statement, a short mental movie in your own eyes of you doing the right things and keeping integrity. Always visualize from first-person, at real-world speed, and only short, key moments. If you feel a “missing” emotion in a situation (like confidence with strangers), mentally rehearse that exact feeling in that exact scene until your brain brings it up automatically.
FOCUS ON PROCESS, NOT JUST OUTCOMES. Like a great sports coach, emphasize what you can control: your technique, your prep, your day-to-day wins. Set clear process goals (not just result goals) - like time with family, regular team touchpoints, daily steps marked up on the wall. Success isn’t about perfection; it’s about honest, positive day-by-day improvement.
DAILY AND SEASONAL EVALUATION. Keep a “daily performance log” - what went well, what’s vital for tomorrow, what could improve, how your priorities rank. Recognize and praise people daily for things done well. But also step back for quarterly “reality checks” and measure yourself hard against real results, not just hopeful progress.
DO LESS, BUT DO IT WELL. Don’t waste time researching everything - figure out the “bare minimum” info you need for confidence and competence, then act. Over-analysis kills action.
ELIMINATE MULTITASKING. Focus on starting, not finishing everything at once. Stop multitasking. Build a “not-to-do list” for the distractions and activities that shouldn’t even make the cut. Performance matters, not perfection - evaluate yourself honestly, and remember that how you see yourself sets the tone for what others see.
IDEAL AROUSAL STATE AND TASK MATCHING. The book says to train yourself to recognize and intentionally set your mental energy to match the task - on a scale from 1-10. For some situations (like dealing with employees), you need to get pumped; other times, chill. Practice what level works for what job, and learn to adjust up or down as needed.
RELENTLESS SOLUTION FOCUS. You only focus on one thing at a time, so train that “one thing” to be solutions (even tiny ones). The more you dwell on problems (in the news, in relationships, in meetings), the more you find - but if you refocus again and again on solutions, your brain follows. In teams, don’t just keep offering your own fixes - ask the team what they’d change, too.
DISCIPLINE, WILLPOWER, AND ENVIRONMENT. No one can eliminate negative thinking, but with practice, you can catch most of it and redirect. Discipline isn’t about 10/10 iron will, but about matching your values and priorities to what you actually do. Maybe you don’t need “more” discipline, just focus in the areas that matter most to you, and a supportive environment - don’t buy junk food, so you don’t have to rely on self-control every time you open the fridge.
November 17, 2014
Leadership within the walls of an organization is the same as coaching on the field.. The difference is the ground. This is a superb translation of leadership message from the field to the desk.
April 16, 2014
Got bored and stopped reading at page 50. Nothing new as far as self help, visualizing and motivating goes.
February 18, 2015
Not much new here. A few good quotes but I had to wade through pages of boring corporate stories.
November 25, 2013
Really great life advice for anyone looking for practical support in achieving their goals.
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