Executive Toughness: The Mental-Training Program to Increase Your Leadership Performance [Hardcover]

Jason Selk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2011

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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Jason Selk is the bestselling author of 10-Minute Toughness, director of mental training for the St. Louis Cardinals, and an executive coach.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (November 3, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071786783
• ISBN-13: 978-0071786782
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #76 in Books > Business & Investing > Skills > Time Management

More About the Author

Jason Selk is the director of sport psychology for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is also the director and owner of Enhanced Performance Inc., which can be found on the Web at www.enhancedperformanceinc.com. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource for Individuals and coaches/mentors December 5, 2011

By John Chancellor TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This is an excellent self-coaching book with great content. I think the title and sub-title do not fully convey the value and message of the book - in my view it is more about how to actually achieve your goals. I think the title might lead the potential reader to think the book is only/primarily for executives. I believe the book can be a very valuable resource for anyone interested in achieving their goals.

Dr. Jason Selk, the author, is an executive coach and a "mental toughness" coach for many world class athletes including the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. He draws on his vast experience of executive and sports coaching to write a very engaging and entertaining book. But the real value is the well laid out principles and exercises he gives. These are the exercises and examples he uses in coaching very high level executives. So this book gives you some very valuable lessons in personal achievement at a very reasonable price.

The book presents 10 mental toughness concepts, with a separate chapter devoted to each concept. The concepts are grouped into four major categories: The foundation - defining your specific goals and who you are. The second category deals with the process of achievement, setting priorities and how to hold yourself accountable. The third major category covers focus, improving execution and consistency. Here Dr. Selk gives lessons on controlling your emotions, scripting your presentations and the 100 second mental workout. The final category is about overcoming obstacles. Here he introduces the concept of "Relentless Solution Focus" - focusing on the solution rather than the problems. He also introduces us to "Gable Discipline" - a wrestler and now wrestler coach who is a master at discipline.

There are a number of excellent and noteworthy points in the 10 mental toughness concepts. The need for setting product and process goals was one of the better ones. His advice is to set product goals - the outcomes you want AND set process goals - the specific things you will do daily/weekly to achieve your product goals. I think far too many people fail to achieve their goals because they set product but not process goals. Dr. Selk gives some very good tips and exercises on how to set and hold yourself accountable for setting process goals.

The 100 second mental workout is another great coaching tool. If you will use the tools set forth in this book, you will greatly improve your life.

The book is well written and very easy to read. There are plenty of stories and real life examples which serve to deepen the reader's understanding of the ideas being presented. The book has lots of suggested exercises - actually Dr. Selk is a little stronger than merely suggesting - but therein lies the real value of the book. At the end of the book, the 10 mental toughness concepts are summarized with commentary about the why and how of the concept. This makes it easy to refer to and refresh your knowledge of the concepts on a regular basis.

This can be a very valuable resource for anyone who wishes to get better, more positive results in life. It is also a great resource for anyone coaching/mentoring others.

A very good read.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "It's All in Your Head" November 15, 2011

By Steve Amoia

Format:Hardcover

"The fundamentals presented in this book have worked for every one of my clients who has made the commitment to using them over the past 15 years. When I say every client, I don't mean most clients. I literally mean every client." Dr. Jason Selk, page XV of the Preface.

The author made a bold and confident statement to begin this book. You will see why after reading this entertaining, informative and highly instructional work. This book will force you to consider something that many of us refuse to recognize: We alone are the masters of our destiny.

Short Organized Format

There are four parts with ten concise chapters (totaling less than 200 pages) accompanied by a lengthy introduction, a concise notes section and detailed index. The author's writing style is motivational and supportive. It is as if he is talking directly to you during a one-on-one session. Dr. Selk also provides a great number of anecdotes from clients, such as the St. Louis Cardinals, who have benefited from his advice. This format provides actual case studies for you to study and learn.

Innovative Features

There is a "Choose to Be Great" synopsis at the end of each chapter to reinforce key points. Another feature that I liked was that the author asks you to do things as you read the book. For example, on page 25, "My purpose of life is..." Dr. Selk makes you write down specific goals and objectives. He gives you charts, fill-in-the blank lists (such as the Success Log) and urges you to use electronic schedulers to stay on the course. If you don't like to challenge yourself, exceed expectations and perform self-evaluation, you probably will not like this book. It is a call to action. One that most of us will be pleased to answer.

Notable Quotes

"Once found, mental toughness through confidence can be carried for the rest of life." Page 13

"I often tell my clients that visualization is like bringing a gun to a knife fight: your previously negative thoughts and self-talk won't stand a chance against the more powerful detailed visions of success you are about to create." Page 33

"Remember that you are likely to be nine times more successful if you actually write down your goals, so it's really important to grab a pen and actually put it to paper instead of just thinking about them." Page 62

"Coach Wooden, even at the age of 93 not only was advising some of the greatest business minds in the world, he also continued to self-evaluate his performance as a speaker." Page 85

"There will be times when you have to prepare as if Coach (Vince) Lombardi is standing over you screaming like a drill sergeant." Page 133

"I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in focus picture of it in my head." (Jack Nicklaus) Page 145

"You need to know what your issues are, and you need to work on them until they become strengths. If there is hesitation, it means you're not ready and that you need help." (Coach Dan Gable) Page 172

Negative Facet

The only thing that I didn't like in this excellent book was the frequent use of "successful professional, beautiful wife and children" examples. Some readers may find these particular comparisons as overly materialistic and/or idealistic. I also recognize that many of the author's clients are high-achievers and would benefit from such scenarios.

How-to Guide to Mental Toughness

Whether you are a professional athlete or a professional bricklayer, you will benefit from Dr. Selk's hands-on advice. The next time that you visit the doctor and he or she says, "It's all in your head," show them this book. :)

Please Note

A McGraw-Hill representative provided me with a complimentary review copy of this book. I was not monetarily compensated for the review by any party who would benefit from a positive analysis.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Resource! April 1, 2013

By Piper180

Format:Hardcover

This is a terrific resource for successful executives. Applying the principles of athletic training and toughness to my business have helped me reach my goals with less stress, more focus and greater self discipline. This book has been a life changer for me.