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

As the year comes to a close, Rich Horwath reflects on lessons learned from working with dozens of organizations and thousands of leaders in 2025. He re-centers the true meaning of strategic: possessing insight that leads to advantage. Rich states that strategy begins with curiosity, an explorer’s mindset focused on learning, reflection, and deliberate choice.

Rich walks listeners through a practical year-in-review framework, balancing achievements with an honest assessment of what didn’t work. From identifying top learnings and priorities to establishing a rallying cry for the year ahead, the goal is clear: turn reflection into actionable insight.

The episode culminates with ten practical ways leaders can sharpen their strategic edge, from managing energy to maximize time to improving decision-making, meetings, and planning. The message is simple but powerful: new growth comes from new thinking, and strategy is a discipline that must be practiced.

“In the dictionary, strategic is defined as ‘of or relating to strategy,’ which is not really too helpful, so in my research, the way I’ve defined strategic is possessing insight that leads to advantage.”

“I define insight as a learning that leads to new value.”

“When we think about competition in the market, we want to think about how they are shaping the perception of value.”

“Research by McKinsey shows that the number one driver of revenue growth is the reallocation of resources throughout the year from underperforming areas to ones with greater performance.”

“Leadership can be defined as setting direction and serving others to achieve goals.”

“What does practice for you look like?”

The Winsight for this episode borrows inspiration from Dr. Seuss, reframed through a strategic lens. Most leaders don’t dislike strategy. They avoid it because it feels slow, abstract, and disconnected from the adrenaline of daily execution. Tactics feel productive and thinking feels optional.

But advantage is created by leaders who choose otherwise. While others stay trapped in reaction mode, checking phones, chasing urgency, and fighting fires, strategic leaders deliberately carve out time to think. They step back, question assumptions, and align resources toward what truly moves the business forward.

Strategic thinking isn’t about avoiding action. It’s about elevating it. When leaders schedule time to think, they stop reacting and start leading. That discipline, choosing insight over impulse, is what separates activity from progress.

🌐 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

Nature has spent billions of years perfecting strategy, and those lessons can help leaders think more clearly about innovation. Rich Horwath sits down with Ines Garcia, author of Nature’s Blueprint for Business, in this episode of Strategic Minds Podcast to explore how ecosystem principles can strengthen the way organizations work and grow.

She shows why leaders must stay attuned and responsive to their environment, just as ecosystems do when they face tension and change. Ideas like ecotones and “bending without breaking” highlight how the space between teams can spark the most innovation.

Listeners gain a new lens for strategy and instead of adding complexity, tap into natural patterns that have been refined over billions of years. The result is smarter innovation, stronger collaboration, and environments where people and ideas can truly flourish.

🔑 Key Quotes:

“Biomimicry is, Jenin-Bernion says, innovation inspired by nature.”

“The opportunity for where things meet is an opportunity, a space to create, to collect materials and exchange nutrients.”

“We often use value stream mapping to look at within the organizational boundaries, ideally across your value chain, how can you reduce waste of time, right?”

“If after an injury or stress, then have the ability to learn from that into what you’re becoming rather than going back. Even staying still is going backwards.”

“I think that we should quiet our cleverness and observe the natural patterns that govern us.”

“I would encourage leaders to breathe in and look outside.”

“We are in this time of moving from competitive advantage to collaborative advantage.”

“Ninety percent of the materials that we use in our products are wasted. Imagine if you keep them within your value chain or don’t even put them there to start. What a savings of energy, transport, effort, materials cost.”

🏆 Winsight:

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Nature has made up her mind that what cannot defend itself shall not be defended.” It’s a powerful reminder for leaders: advantage isn’t something we claim, it's something we build. Organizations thrive when they invest in capabilities that genuinely strengthen their position.

As you assess your business, ask whether you’re developing the skills, knowledge, and systems that create a defensible moat. Are you sharpening differentiation or simply maintaining activity? Strategic advantage requires intention, not inertia.

If we’re not actively creating the capabilities that separate us from the competition, we limit our ability to shape the position we want in the market. The question for leaders becomes simple: Are we building what we need to defend, and deserve, our future advantage?

🔗 Links:

Connect with Ines Garcia:

Ines Garcia's website

Nature’s Blueprint for Business (Book)

Ines Garcia on LinkedIn

🌐 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

In this episode of Strategic Minds Podcast, Rich sits down with Derin McMains to explore how elite athletes develop clarity, resilience, and composure—and how business leaders can do the same. Drawing from his career in professional baseball and mental performance coaching across major sports, Derin breaks down the “mental game”: the crucial seconds between moments where decisions are shaped.

He shares practical tools leaders can use to shift from emotion-driven reactions to process-driven responses, manage confidence, and prepare with greater intention. The discussion shows how the principles that help athletes perform under pressure can empower executives to show up as the version their team needs most.

“I define the mental game as the game you play between moments.”

“Emotions are great informants and terrible dictators.”

“The scoreboard doesn’t care how you feel. Fans don’t care how you feel. When I focus on confidence and feelings, I’m not focused on the task at hand.”

“Let’s start with identity. How I see myself determines how I see the world.”

“With every goal, it always starts with what problem you’re really trying to solve.”

Jack Welch once warned that when the rate of change inside a company lags the rate of change outside it, the end is already in motion. Reed Hastings echoes the same truth: organizations rarely die from moving too fast—they die from moving too slow. Together, their message is unmistakable.

Leaders must cultivate a constant urgency around getting better. Value creation isn’t static, and neither is the environment we compete in. The moment we stop evolving, we start falling behind.

Set aside time regularly with your team to look beyond the present and define the future state of the business. Where are you going, and what must change to get there? Strategic progress begins with intentional forward focus.

Connect with Derin McMains:

LinkedIn: Derin McMains on LinkedIn

Podcasts: No Show Dogs & The Way 2 Play Free

Instagram: @dmac_mindset

X: @McMainsDmac

🌐 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

Neuroscientist and performance coach Dr. Mark Guadagnoli joins Rich Horwath to share how neuroscience and strategy intersect to elevate performance under pressure. Drawing from his groundbreaking Challenge Point Framework, Dr. Guadagnoli explains how practicing at your personal edge boosts learning speed, resilience, and confidence.

From the operating room to the boardroom, he shows why the best leaders and teams embrace challenge, reframe failure, and build cultures where it’s not win or lose—it’s win or learn.

“Great performers are also stubborn, tenacious, but they're also open enough to seek out ways to be better.”

“Think about what life is like if you're not worried about whether or not you're going to be successful.”

“Number one, I was successful. Number two, I learned something. Those are the two options, right? If one of those things isn't true, then there's a problem in the system.”

“The first thing that I would say is you don't prepare for high pressure moments with low pressure preparation.”

“And again, you either win or you learn.”

Tom Gentile, CEO of Spirit Aerosystems, reminds us that time is part of your strategy. Too often, leaders let their calendars control them instead of the other way around. High-performing executives manage time from the top down—batching activities, reducing context switching, and focusing deeply on what drives the most strategic value.

As you plan your week, ask yourself: Are you managing your time, or is your time managing you?

Connect with Mark Guadagnoli:

LinkedIn: Mark Guadagnoli on LinkedIn

Books: Practice to Learn, Play to Win: The Answer to Your Best Golf

Human Learning: Biology, Brain, and Neuroscience

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15130871/

🌐 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