High Caliber
For leaders who own team performance: how to select, develop, and keep the people who win
The skill nobody talks about
A study landed on my desk this week that I can’t stop thinking about. It confirms something I’ve believed for 15 years but never had this clean a data set to back it up. Self-Regulation Makes You a Better Shooter Researchers at the University of Queensland published a study in Scientific Reports earlier this year. They took 66 elite special forces soldiers and randomly split them into two groups. One group got 15 hours of emotional intelligence training. Not a weekend retreat. Not a...
How to Fuel Cognitive Performance with Food (Without Complicated Meal Plans)
Think about the last time you tried to make a critical decision on an empty stomach. Or after that heavy pasta lunch that had you fighting to keep your eyes open during the afternoon team meeting. Your brain burns through 20% of your daily calories - that's more than any other organ. Yet most high performers I work with treat their brain's nutrition like an afterthought. Here's what I see all the time with elite athletes and executives: Crushing morning workouts but skipping breakfast...
What NBA players taught me about performance (and myself)
I’ve spent years working with some of the best athletes on the planet. 🏀 NBA stars. 🏈 Super Bowl contenders. 🎓 NCAA standouts. On the surface, they’ve made it… Behind the scenes, they’re wrestling with the same things most of us are — pressure, identity, burnout, uncertainty about what comes after success. This episode is one of the most honest conversations I’ve ever had about the psychology of high performance, and what most people get wrong when they chase excellence. It’s not about...
Up and to the right: the fundamentals of mindset training
This email is brought to you by Wickit. I've been using Wickit for several months now - and I love what it does for my clothes. I'm finding that my workout gear (which is basically all I wear now anyway) washes better and lasts longer. You can check this video to see what other people are saying, too. The folks over at Wickit were nice enough to give me a coupon code to pass on to you. You'll get 15% off if you sign up here. Imagine this: you’re ready. You’ve logged the practice hours,...
How to Achieve Success Without Sacrificing Your Values
You absolutely can succeed in life without compromising who you are. Most ambitious people think they have to trade their values to get ahead (or at the very least, they face scenarios where there's a clear conflict between getting ahead and staying true to themselves). They believe success demands ruthless decisions and self-sacrifice, like the athletes we lionize. But here's the thing – compromising your values just leaves you feeling empty and disconnected from your true self. And that's...
5 Little-Known Habits That Could Be Sabotaging Your Performance Under Pressure
Pressure can either lift you up or bring you down. Many athletes, coaches, and business leaders struggle when the heat is on. The problem? Common habits that sneak into your daily routine can block your path to success. If you don't fix these habits, they'll keep you from performing your best when it matters most. Today, we'll expose these hidden habits—and show you how to beat them. Habit 1: Negative Self-Talk You doubt yourself before big moments. Negative self-talk destroys your confidence...
This is why I left the NBA
I remember the day I left my dream job. There’s a moment most high performers hit — when everything looks great from the outside… but doesn’t quite feel right on the inside. Mine came in the middle of an NBA season. At the time, I had the job I dreamed about back when I was still a grad student. Working courtside with the Toronto Raptors. Leading mental performance strategy at the highest level of sport. Surrounded by a team of brilliant, elite professionals. It was everything I’d worked...
Decoding What Makes Elite Teams Exceptional
This email is brought to you by Wickit. I've been using Wickit for several months now - and I love what it does for my clothes. I'm finding that my workout gear (which is basically all I wear now anyway) washes better and lasts longer. You can check this video to see what other people are saying, too. The folks over at Wickit were nice enough to give me a coupon code to pass on to you. You'll get 15% off if you sign up here. Great teams are more than the sum of their talented individuals....
3 Proven Psychological Skills That Elevate Athletic Performance Under Pressure
This email is brought to you by Wickit. I've been using Wickit for several months now - and I love what it does for my clothes. I'm finding that my workout gear (which is basically all I wear now anyway) washes better and lasts longer. You can check this video to see what other people are saying, too. The folks over at Wickit were nice enough to give me a coupon code to pass on to you. You'll get 15% off if you sign up here. The difference between winning and losing at the highest level often...
The Hidden Truth About High Performance: What the Best Know That You Don’t
This email is brought to you by Wickit. I've been using Wickit for several months now - and I love what it does for my clothes. I'm finding that my workout gear (which is basically all I wear now anyway) washes better and lasts longer. You can check this video to see what other people are saying, too. The folks over at Wickit were nice enough to give me a coupon code to pass on to you. You'll get 15% off if you sign up here. Most of the guru garbage you’ve read on the internet about peak...
For leaders who own team performance: how to select, develop, and keep the people who win