3 Key Steps to Creating a Champion’s Mindset

High Performance Coaching for Attorneys

Every outstanding attorney I work with (and believe me, they are all outstanding attorneys) is challenged by one basic thing: their mindset. That’s the value of a coach; I don’t get bogged down in the story my clients tell but, instead, am able to empower them to achieve their full potential by distilling the story they tell to its essence and getting to work on shifting their mindset as they work towards a solution. A recent coaching session is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. 

Most of Us Experience Too Many Highs and Lows

When we “win” (whatever that means in the moment) we feel really great. When we “lose” (again, whatever that means in the moment), we feel bad. As human beings, we experience highs and lows. It’s natural. It’s normal. It’s a problem.

Please do not misunderstand. I am all about celebrating wins, In my experience, high-achievers don’t invest the time to do so and, instead, are on to the next goal. This too can be a problem. That’s why I begin every single coaching session with having my clients identify a recent win.

Conversely, it is also important to learn from experiences which don’t necessarily go as planned. That’s how growth occurs. That’s how we learned, very quickly, not to touch a hot stove. 

Recognizing and celebrating wins and learning from when we fall short are necessary activities. It’s when we allow either to affect us inordinately, when the amplitude of the victory or perceived defeat is out of proportion or we swing too much between the highs of wining and the lows of losing that our performance actually suffers. 

A Champion’s Mindset - Modeling the Greatest Tennis Player of All Time.

In response to a question, my client mentioned the highs and lows and how he “had to” be better at not letting the lows through him off his game. That kicked off our coaching session.

We discussed how failures (no such thing), losses (the wrong word/concept), and falling short affected him. He listed 3 ways: distracting him from the present moment; creating self-doubt; and inhibiting his ability to accurately perform an after-action review which included positive aspects of the activity.

I brought the concept of a “Champion’s Mindset.” Into the session. My client loves to play tennis. I’ve known that about him since we first began our coaching journey. Naturally, I brought up the Greatest Of All Time (“GOAT”)  Roger Federer. 

In a commencement speech Roger gave at Dartmouth in June 2024, he shared an unsurprising statistic: he won 80% of his matches. Makes total sense for the GOAT. He shared something else, though, that people don’t necessarily equate with being the greatest tennis player ever: Roger won only 54% of the total points he has played as a professional. That means he “failed” 46% of the time.

Here’s what Roger said:

“When you lose every second point on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot.” 

In order to continue playing at an elite level, Federer could not and, indeed would not, allow himself to feel too good when he hit a winner nor too bad when his opponent made a better shot or, worse yet, he made an unforced error or  *gasp *double faulted. He simply moved on to the next point. 

After a match, though, he was able to perform an after-action review of what went well and where he could improve. In the moment though, he would not allow himself to get too high or too low.

3 Key Steps to Crafting a Champion’s Mindset

After a spirited discussion that clearly resonated with my client, it was time to go from hypothetical to practical. How would he go about becoming more like RF? Here are three actions steps my client agreed to undertake:

• Focus on the Process:  Because the our process is all we control, by focusing on it and not the outcome, we do not get too high or too low.

• Emotional Control: Develop the habit of having a measured response when things go well and not-so-well.

• Build Resilience:  Seeing challenges as opportunities for personal and professional growth. 

Is my client perfect at any of these steps yet? Of course not. Is he steadily moving forward, you bet. Is he comfortable. No way. Working with me as your coach isn’t comfortable. It’s not meant to be. Comfort is for those satisfied with the status quo, for those content to be “good enough” or “average.” Growth comes when we, as human beings, move through the discomfort.

My clients are the best attorneys in their field. They are the managing partners and law firm CEOs who understand the benefit of a champion’s mindset in their practices and lives. They increase revenue, master their time and focus, and improve performance while enjoying more free time and suffering less burnout. You can too. Schedule a complimentary 30-minute discovery session with me here, or send me an email.

Case Study: How One Law Firm CEO Broke Through Limiting Beliefs With Executive Coaching.

“When you challenged my thinking by asking why I was thinking so small, it hurt.” Is this statement positive or negative? 

One of the many reasons to work with me as your executive coach is to gain a fresh perspective—a perspective that challenges you to see when you’re holding yourself back from reaching your full potential. The saying goes: You can’t read the ingredients on the cereal box from the inside. In other words, you often can’t recognize the limits of your mindset when you’re “in it.” A recent coaching session with a law firm CEO offered a vivid reminder of this truth.

To tell this client’s story, a bit of background is needed. My client is the CEO of a successful personal injury law firm in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. He and I began working together a few years ago when he was at a pivotal point in his business journey—stepping into his role as CEO and building his team. After some time, he “graduated” from coaching. All coaching relationships have a beginning, middle, and end. He had reached a point where he was ready to execute his new CEO mindset independently. Watching clients “take off” is a proud moment for them and for me.

Once you’re a client, you’re always part of the team. As is my habit, I stayed in touch with him. During one of our check-ins, he mentioned he was ready to reengage with executive coaching; he’d maxed out his mindset at his then-current level and wanted to evolve further. My first step was to see if he was thinking big enough to make our coaching sessions impactful. Without that, the investment of time and money wouldn’t be worthwhile.

I asked him where he saw his next level of growth. A straightforward way to measure this is by gross revenue—a metric that, for many attorneys and law firm leaders, is linked to personal growth and mindset transformation. When he shared his revenue goal for the end of our 12-month coaching engagement, the number struck me as uninspiring. It would require no real personal evolution—just increased business efficiencies. So I asked, “Why are you thinking so small?”

He was taken aback. “John, that’s not small!” I told him that if that was the goal, it wouldn’t be worth his time or money to work with me. He and his team could grind harder and get there without executive coaching. I let the silence linger; he was clearly thinking. As a law firm CEO, few people challenged him like this.

I repeated, “Why are you thinking so small?” This time, I added, “What if you couldn’t fail? What would the number be then?” He then shared a figure ten times higher than his initial goal. I asked, “What shifted to make you believe that level of revenue is achievable?” His response was pure gold: “If I couldn’t fail, I’d be a lot more confident in going big.”

My next question was, “Who would you need to become to achieve that goal?” His answer was equally profound: “I’d have to be someone entirely different than I am today. My leadership, communication, and performance would all have to evolve.” With this new goal and an understanding that personal growth would be essential, we agreed to move forward together.

Flash forward six months.

In a recent coaching session, we discussed a crucial leadership skill all managing partners and law firm owners must master: saying no to a thousand things. He paused and revisited the initial conversation, saying, “When you challenged my thinking by asking why I was thinking so small, it hurt.” I asked why. He replied, “It hurt because I’ve never thought of myself as someone who thinks small. I was trapped in my own thinking, and without you challenging me, I would never have realized it.”

Working with me as your executive coach isn’t comfortable—and it’s not meant to be. Comfort is for those who are satisfied with the status quo, content with “good enough.” Growth occurs when we move through discomfort.

My clients are the best attorneys in their fields. They’re managing partners and law firm CEOs who are comfortable with being uncomfortable, who think big to keep their firms thriving. They increase revenue, master their time and focus, improve performance, and ultimately enjoy more freedom with less burnout. You can too. Schedule a complimentary 30-minute discovery session with me here, or send me an email.

Understanding the Importance of Mindset for Peak Performance.

Achieving success, realizing our full potential, and striving for peak performance are concepts that resonate with us all. Often, we tie these achievements to observable factors: hard work, technical skills, experience, and a pinch of luck (although, if you know me, you know I don’t believe in luck). There's another influential component we almost always leave out – mindset.

Rewire your mindset and pass through the portal to peak performance.

📸 - the author.

The notion of mindset and its impact on peak performance, while an age-old concept, has recently resurfaced as an important area of focus because of its profound influence on accomplishment and success. High achievers across various domains consistently emphasize the crucial role mindset plays in their journey.

So, let's delve into understanding what mindset is and why it holds such a commanding place in our path to achieving peak performance.

What Is Mindset?

Mindset is the perspective through which we perceive and respond to our experiences. It is anchored in our beliefs about ourselves and our fundamental qualities. Our mindset frames how we view our abilities, how we tackle challenges, and how we recover from setbacks.

Carol Dweck, a renowned psychologist, expanded this concept further in her groundbreaking book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success." She introduced two types of mindsets: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. Individuals with a fixed mindset view their abilities as set in stone. In contrast, those with a growth mindset perceive abilities as dynamic, honed over time through effort and learning. A growth mindset serves as a catalyst for resilience, tenacity, and a passion for learning – all vital components for achieving peak performance.

The Integral Role of Mindset in Peak Performance.

Why is mindset integral to achieving peak performance? To illustrate this, let's use compare two hypothetical lawyers. athletes.

Consider Lawyer A and Lawyer B – both possess equal legal acumen and  and technical proficiency. However, Lawyer A firmly believes in her capacity for growth and improvement. Every stumble is a lesson, every case, an opportunity to enhance performance.

Lawyer B, in contrast, sees his abilities as immutable. When he stumbles, he interprets it as a sign of his limitations, affirming his beliefs about his ability.

Here, mindset becomes the differentiating factor. Despite their identical legal skills, their mindsets set them on divergent paths. Lawyer A's growth mindset nurtures resilience, perpetual learning, and ultimately, peak performance. In contrast, Lawyer B's fixed mindset might inhibit progress, preventing him from reaching his full potential.

The application of this principle isn’t, of course, limited to lawyers alone; it permeates all aspects of life - academics, athletics, business, personal development, relationships, and more. A growth mindset fosters a love for learning, instills resilience, and nurtures an intrinsic motivation to strive for excellence, driving peak performance.

Self-fulfilling Prophecy: A Testament to the Power of Mindset.

The concept of self-fulfilling prophecy further underscores the importance of mindset. Our expectations and beliefs subtly manipulate our actions, leading to outcomes that align with these very beliefs. For instance, if you undertake a project, convinced of its failure (“This will never work, it hasn’t worked in the past.”), you may subconsciously sabotage your performance, leading to the very failure you anticipated.

On the other hand, if you undertake a project, believing you may succeed (“I believe this will work because I’ve learned from past attempts.”), you’ll set yourself on quite a different path. As long ago as 30 B.C.E., Virgil penned “possunt quia posse videntur,” which roughly translates to “they can because they think they can.” A modern example of this, well, mindset, is attributed to Henry Ford, “whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.”

Recognizing the role of mindset empowers us to exploit the self-fulfilling prophecy positively. By fostering a growth mindset, we set the stage for success, priming ourselves for peak performance.

Embarking on a Journey Towards a Growth Mindset.

The significance of mindset in achieving peak performance is substantial.

However, merely understanding its importance is just the beginning. The real endeavor lies in actively cultivating a growth mindset, reshaping our thought patterns, and adopting a perspective that promotes growth and development. Put bluntly, nothing short of rewiring your mindset will do.

In the following months, I’ll delve deeper into the realms of mindset. I’ll explore its diverse aspects, examine real-world case studies, and provide practical strategies to help you foster a growth mindset that fuels peak performance. This journey promises to be insightful and transformative, offering you tools and perspectives that will significantly impact your personal and professional life.

Harnessing the Power of Positivity and Visualization.

Another remarkable facet of a strong mindset is the power of positive thinking and visualization. These elements not only enhance our overall outlook on life but also ignite our motivation and willpower, driving us towards our goals. Positive thinking cultivates self-confidence and an optimistic view, which research links to improved productivity, resilience, and overall well-being.

Visualization, or the practice of mentally simulating a desired outcome or performance, is a common strategy among top performers across various domains. Sports stars, musicians, business leaders, and even surgeons often use this technique to improve their performance. When we mentally rehearse our success, it can help build confidence, reduce anxiety, and prepare us to deliver our best when it truly matters.

Building a Mindset for Resilience.

Life is full of challenges and setbacks. It's easy to get discouraged when things don't go as planned. However, cultivating a growth mindset allows us to see these hurdles not as insurmountable barriers but as opportunities for learning and growth.

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity, and a growth mindset is key to building this trait. When we believe that we can grow and learn from our experiences, we become more resilient and adaptable, better equipped to navigate life's challenges and emerge stronger on the other side.

Let The Journey To Rewiring Your Mindset Begin.

The importance of mindset in achieving peak performance cannot be overstated. It's an invisible force that significantly influences our capacity to succeed. It's the mental thread that weaves through our abilities, shapes our approach to challenges, and determines our resilience in the face of failures.

As we continue this journey, I invite you to embrace the power of mindset and harness its potential to drive personal and professional growth. Remember, a growth mindset is not just about believing you can improve. It's about embracing challenges, persisting in the face of setbacks, viewing effort as the path to mastery, and learning from feedback and criticism.

With the right mindset, peak performance is within your reach. As Buddha famously said, "The mind is everything. What you think, you become." Let's embark on this exciting journey of cultivating a powerful mindset, one that paves the way to achieving peak performance, achieving your full potential, and optimizing your life.

The Psychology of Self-Talk: A Deeper Look into Our Inner Conversations

From our earliest years, we're taught how to communicate with the world around us. But what about the dialogue we have with ourselves? The conversations you hold in the privacy of your own mind, self-talk, can be just as critical, if not more so, than any you might have with others.

Understanding the Role of Self-Talk.

All of us engage in self-talk. It's that inner voice that narrates our life experiences, offering opinions and interpretations about our experiences, our actions, and the actions of those around us. At its core, self-talk represents the constant interplay between our conscious and subconscious minds, shaping our reality and how we perceive it.

Psychologists believe our self-talk can significantly influence our emotions, attitudes, decisions, and actions. The nature of these self-conversations, whether they're positive or negative, can determine the trajectory of our personal and professional lives.

Separating the Voice in Your Head From You.

When we hear that voice in our head, our self-talk, we oftentimes believe it is us speaking. That’s not an accurate way of thinking of self-talk because it is oftentimes based on who we were, not necessarily who we are, or, more importantly, who we want to be. One key to distinguishing your self-talk from who you are is, frankly, to give it a name other than you. It shouldn’t be a name you associate with a negative person in your life. The name you give your inner voice, especially the one who holds you back with negative self-talk, must be of a fictional individual. By calling the voice someone other than you, you begin to create space between you and the voice. It’s akin to making the switch from the thought “I am angry (or sad, or happy, or frustrated), to “I feel angry (or sad, happy, frustrated). The anger is not who you are. Same with self-talk of the negative kind, it’s simply not who you are.

The Power of Positive vs. Negative Self-Talk.

Self-talk can be categorized as either positive (constructive) or negative (destructive). Positive self-talk encompasses affirmations, constructive criticism, and words of encouragement. This internal pep talk can boost our self-esteem, productivity, and overall mental wellbeing. Negative self-talk, on the other hand, can entail doubt, criticism, and defeatism. Continual indulgence in negative self-talk can contribute to stress, anxiety, and depression.

Understanding this dichotomy is the first step towards leveraging the power of self-talk for personal and professional growth.

Harnessing Self-Talk: Three Action Steps to Take Today (and Tomorrow, and…).

Learning to harness the power of self-talk can be transformative. Here are three practical ways you can start leveraging your inner dialogue for personal and professional success.

1. Acknowledge and Observe Your Self-Talk: Before we can change our self-talk, we need to become aware of it. Spend some time each day listening to your inner dialogue. Note down the themes, attitudes, and tone of your self-talk. Is it more negative or positive? Are there recurring themes of self-doubt or self-assurance? By understanding your current self-talk habits, you can identify areas that need attention and improvement.

2. Challenge and Replace Negative Self-Talk: We're often harder on ourselves than anyone else could be. If you observe negative self-talk, challenge it. Ask yourself if what you're saying to yourself is true, or if you're being overly critical. Would you speak to a friend or colleague the way you're speaking to yourself? If not, work on replacing the negative thoughts with more positive, constructive ones. Instead of saying, "I can't do this," try reframing it as, "This will be a challenge, but I'm capable of overcoming it.”

3. Practice Positive Affirmations: Affirmations are powerful tools for positive self-talk. They are positive statements that you repeat to yourself, designed to combat negative thoughts and beliefs. Regular practice of affirmations can significantly influence your subconscious mind, leading to an improved attitude, better stress management, and increased self-confidence. Craft affirmations that resonate with your goals and aspirations. For example, if you're working towards a promotion, your affirmation could be, "I am competent and deserving of new opportunities.”

The Path Ahead.

While our inner voices are often shaped by past experiences and influences, they're not set in stone. Like any other skill, you can cultivate positive self-talk with awareness, practice, and patience. And the benefits of positive self-talk are manifold, impacting every aspect of our lives – from our mental health to our professional achievements.

As we navigate the professional landscape, understanding and harnessing the power of self-talk can make all the difference between thriving and merely surviving. In the competitive world of business, the power of positive self-talk can help us overcome setbacks, maintain focus and resilience, and propel ourselves towards our goals with conviction and determination.

Our self-talk is a direct reflection of our inner beliefs, perspectives, and attitudes. By making a conscious effort to nourish and strengthen our inner voice with positivity and resilience, we can create a powerful ally within ourselves – one that supports, encourages, and bolsters us at every turn.

Just as we choose our words carefully in professional and social conversations, let's be equally mindful about the dialogue we have with ourselves. For it is this dialogue that ultimately shapes our worldview, the perception of ourselves, and our potential for success.

To sum it up, the power of self-talk extends beyond mere self-affirmation or motivation. It lies in understanding its profound psychological impact and harnessing it effectively for personal and professional growth. If we can master the art of positive self-talk, we gain control over our thought patterns, setting a strong foundation for confidence, productivity, and emotional wellbeing.

3 Bonus Takeaways.

1. Recognize and monitor your self-talk patterns to identify areas that need improvement.

2. Challenge and replace negative self-talk with more constructive narratives.

3. Regularly practice positive affirmations that resonate with your personal and professional goals.

Remember, you are the narrator of your own life. Make sure your self-talk reflects the story you want to tell, and the person you aspire to be.

Do you have any other insights about the power of self-talk? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! Let's keep this crucial conversation going.

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