Mind Games

What makes a winner - in business or in sport? Why do some people consistently break sales targets, cross the line first or hammer the ball in the net with pinpoint accuracy? Natural talent and disciplined training are vital. But with two equally matched professionals, something else makes the difference that provides that extra, champion factor: the mind.

Mind Games looks into the mental processes of sporting stars, identifying the attitudes and approaches that enable them to achieve peak performance, every time, and applies them specifically to the world of business. What are the key mental characteristics that make some people come out on top? How do winners channel adrenalin into controlled power while losers choke? What do sportsmen and women mean when they talk about 'the inner game', being 'in the zone' or being 'in the now'? What is it that coaches do to realise the potential they see? What are the lessons that business winners need to learn from sport's superstars?

Mind Games has the full involvement of over 30 sporting household names, including Sven-Goran Eriksson, Matthew Pinsent, Clive Woodward, Nick Faldo, Jonny Wilkinson. The authors draw on extensive first-hand experiences of acknowledged sporting champions across a range of sports, identifying personal techniques proven to have worked under the pressure of top-level competition. They also draw on the expertise of professional coaches and psychologists who have worked with sportsmen and women.

Foreword by Sir Clive Woodward OBE vii

About the Authors ix

Acknowledgements xi

Introduction 1

Part I: Personality Power 7

Chapter 1: True Grit 9

Chapter 2: I Believe! 23

Chapter 3: Positive Power 35

Analysis I: Personality Power 45

Part II: Motivational Matters 53

Chapter 4: The Success Magnet 55

Chapter 5: Fleeing Failure 65

Chapter 6: Goals Galore 71

Analysis II: Motivational Matters 85

Part III: Mental Training 93

Chapter 7: Mental Rehearsal 95

Chapter 8: Anchors and Triggers 109

Chapter 9: Preparing for Pressure 117

Chapter 10: Review and Revise 133

Chapter 11: Coaching Relationships 145

Analysis III: Mental Training 157

Part IV: Peak Performance 171

Chapter 12: Nerve Control 173

Chapter 13: The Rock of Routine 185

Chapter 14: Positive Talk 193

Chapter 15: Into the Zone 203

Chapter 16: Focus and Refocus 213

Analysis IV: Peak Performance 229

Part V: Team Spirit 243

Chapter 17: The Right Combination 245

Chapter 18: Team Build-up 255

Chapter 19: Team Talks 267

Analysis V: Team Spirit 275

Index 283

Jeff Grout is an adviser, commentator and columnist on the subjects of motivation, peak performance, people management, teamwork, recruitment and retention. He is also business manager to Sir Clive Woodward OBE, the former England Rugby Coach.

Sarah Perrin is a freelance journalist and writer, contributing regularly to business and professional magazines. She is co-author of Kickstart Your Career and Recruiting Excellence, and author of The Guardian Careers Guide to Accountancy. She is also a qualified NLP practitioner, a technique increasingly used by sporting champions.

Life is a mind game. All your aspirations are played out in your head. All your relationships are shaped in your head. Even your career progression depends on your mental approach to the world.

Your mind dictates whether you fulfil your potential or live your life dreaming. In sport it can make the difference between winning and losing. Mind Games reveals the techniques the world’s biggest sports stars use to cross the line first, score the most points and outwit their opponents.

Jeff Grout and Sarah Perrin draw on extensive first-hand experiences, identifying personal techniques used by coaches and athletes proven to have worked under the pressure of top-level competition. Get into the minds of sporting champions such as Matthew Pinsent, Ellen MacArthur, Nick Faldo, Sir Clive Woodward, Sally Gunnell, Jonny Wilkinson and Roger Black.

The lessons of these sporting heroes are applicable in any area of life, whether you want to be a better parent, achieve more at work or fulfil a lifelong ambition. The mind can be a great ally or a great obstacle. Mind Games shows how the sporting greats have harnessed its potential. Apply their lessons and you’ll find a world of possibility opening up to you.

Life is a mind game. Success is in the head.