Mental toughness isn’t something you’re born with, it’s a capacity you build. Rich Horwath sits down with Dr. Jim Loehr, widely regarded as the father of mental toughness, to explore what it truly takes to perform at your best under pressure. Drawing from decades of work with elite athletes, executives, military leaders, and physicians, Jim reframes performance as an energy challenge not a time problem.

The conversation moves beyond mindset into the science of energy management, resilience, and recovery. Jim explains why tolerating failure is essential to growth, how pressure becomes a gift when properly trained for, and why purpose is the ultimate anchor in high-stakes environments. From Novak Djokovic to Special Forces teams, the principles remain the same.

The discussion culminates in Jim’s evolution from performance psychology to character. Enduring success, he argues, is rooted in moral and ethical character, integrity, compassion, and kindness, and the disciplined investment of energy into what matters most.

“Mental toughness is an acquired capacity to ignite the full range of your talent and skill on demand, regardless of the situation that you might be in.”

“And we began to realize that the centerpiece of everyone's life is their sense of purpose.”

“If you're doing something for others, that somehow lights you up.”

“But if you're not fully engaged in the time you have, aligned with whatever the mission was, you can spend endless hours — not 10,000 hours, but 100,000 hours — and get worse because you're not there.”

“Energy is the resource that is so precious.”

“We are oscillatory beings in an oscillatory universe.”

“If I want to make a difference in someone's life, an athlete, I can't do it unless I have energy and I'm willing to invest energy unconditionally in them as a person and helping them achieve their mission.”

Our Winsight comes from Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, who reminds us that strategic advantage often comes from subtraction, not addition. By intentionally unplugging activities that consumed time and mental space, Starbucks discovered that less truly can be more. Strategy isn’t just about what you choose to do, it’s equally about what you decide to stop doing.

For leaders, this is a powerful discipline. Too often, teams stay busy investing energy, budget, and attention into initiatives that no longer generate meaningful value. Over time, those commitments dilute focus and crowd out the work that actually drives results.

The strategic question is simple but uncomfortable: What should you unplug? Regularly identifying what to stop, meetings, projects, processes, or priorities, creates the space needed to reallocate energy into the most productive areas and fuel sustainable growth.

Connect with Jim Loehr

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-loehr/

Website: https://www.jim-loehr.com/

Books by Jim Loehr: https://www.jim-loehr.com/books

🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

Highly effective managers don’t rely on titles, tactics, or endless to-do lists. They lead with intention. Today, Rich Horwath is joined by Ashley Herd, former Chief People Officer, founder and author of The Manager Method, to unpack what truly drives managerial effectiveness in today’s complex workplace.

Ashley introduces the idea of a “career quilt,” encouraging leaders to see diverse experiences as strategic assets rather than detours. She shares how stepping back from linear career thinking enables managers to make clearer decisions, build stronger relationships, and align daily work with long-term goals.

The discussion centers on Ashley’s Pause–Consider–Act framework, a practical tool for navigating difficult conversations, prioritizing effectively, and leading more humanely. The result is a repeatable approach that helps managers drive results, strengthen engagement, and avoid burnout.

“ One of the ways to move away from being tactical is to think big picture — what are our eventual goals?”

“When you're in HR, I actually think it's incredibly important to be strategic no matter what your role is.”

“I focus on what I want my life to be like and what kind of value I think I can bring to others?”

“The number one driver of employee engagement is whether someone's direct manager explains to them why their role matters, why their work matters, and if they're successful in that role, how that impacts the overall organization, customers.”

Today’s Winsight comes from Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, who reminds us that strategy is as much about exclusion as it is about inclusion. In a world defined by endless to-do lists and constant demands, the real constraint leaders face isn’t ambition…it’s time.

Strategic advantage comes from deciding what not to do. Which products won’t be offered? Which customers won’t be targeted? Which internal initiatives will be deprioritized so resources can be focused where they matter most?

Great strategy isn’t about doing more. It’s about making deliberate trade-offs that concentrate effort, energy, and investment on the few priorities that drive disproportionate value. Be intentional not only about what you pursue but equally clear about what you choose to leave behind.

Connect with Ashley Herd:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyherd/

Website: https://managermethod.com

The Manager Method by Ashley Herd: https://www.managermethod.com/book

🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

Train Your Brain to Play Offense

Elite performance doesn’t come from motivation: it comes from training. Rich Horwath sits down with Dr. Jason Selk, one of the world’s leading performance coaches, to explore how mental toughness is built, practiced, and sustained under pressure.

Drawing from Selk’s work with championship teams and senior executives, the conversation reframes performance as a discipline rooted in high standards, preparation, and self-image. From his Midwest upbringing to his early test with the St. Louis Cardinals, Selk shares how readiness, not reassurance, separates top performers.

The discussion delivers practical tools leaders can apply immediately, including identity statements, process goals, visualization, and the power of starting each day on offense. The takeaway is clear: when the mind is trained intentionally, strategy and execution follow.

“They say phase one of performance is you must have high standards.”

“I’ll tell you what mental toughness is not. It’s not a pep talk.”

“And I would tell you on a daily basis or at least three or four days a week, a person needs to be doing something called mental workouts and success logs.”

“A person will not outperform nor will they underperform their self image for long.”

“If I get my most important activity done early, my brain knows it’s on offense.”

“The process mentality is the single most effective way for people to control results.”

“If you’re not using visualization on a regular basis, in the business world or in the sports world, there’s no possible way you can be operating at your potential.”

“Overloading channel capacity is the biggest mistake being made in business and in sport. And the magic numbers are 3 and 1. 3 and 1.”

Sun Tzu the Chinese general and philosopher who had the writings which became the book The Art of War said being unconquerable lies within yourself. As you think about your business, your work, your occupation, are you allowing things to conquer you throughout the day: the small things, the little challenges and issues that pop up, or are you using mental toughness to overcome them?

I’d encourage all of us to think about, at least for a few minutes each day, are we being the best versions of ourselves?

Meaning, are we using mental toughness to overcome the negative, to overcome the challenges, to overcome the problems, and really focus on the solutions, the progress, and what’s going to take us to our goals?

Connect with Dr. Jason Selk:

Website: https://www.jasonselk.com/

Instagram: @drjasonselk

Jason Selk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jason-selk/

Books by Jason Selk: https://www.jasonselk.com/books

🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website 👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn 🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube 🐦 Rich Horwath on X 📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram 📘 STRATEGIC Book 🧠 Strategic Fitness System 📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter 🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify