5 Books Recommended by CEO’s and Top Performers for a Strong Mind
As a therapist and mental performance coach, our work together to develop a strong mind isn’t confined to the therapy room. I often give growth assignments or recommend books to read to help my clients reach their goals faster.
These books elevate your thinking and perspective. Reading them has benefitted my personal and professional life – and they’ve done the same for many of my clients.
Let’s look at the top five books I recommend for developing a strong mind.
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High
by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Al Switzler, and Ron McMillan
Crucial Conversations reports on 25 years' worth of research about successful communicators. Through this research, they determined the secret of these communicators. It’s how they handle "crucial conversations." These are conversations "between two or more people where the stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong."
The authors developed a framework for approaching these conversations.
The framework they developed has many steps to it. It includes things like focusing on the goals of the conversation. Which helps you to react less to your emotions and reach your goals faster. The framework also includes creating a safe environment by showing others you value their opinion. Part of this framework includes concrete steps for resolving conflict.
This book has greatly impacted how my clients and I approach high-stakes conversations. It gives very clear step-by-step instructions on approaching them. Whether the conversation is about your position on a team or negotiating a big-ticket item at the office – this book will help you to navigate these conversations effectively.
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
by Daniel Goleman
Emotional Intelligence discusses the importance of the “ability to manage your feelings so that those feelings are expressed appropriately and effectively.” It changes the way we look at the connection between emotions and success.
The book discusses how emotions function in our brains. The author further defines emotional intelligence as a person's "ability to exert self-control, regulate your moods, empathize with others, and motivate yourself to persist in the face of setbacks.”
You won’t be successful in life if you can't manage your emotions. It also covers the five components of emotional intelligence that the author developed. Those components are: emapthy, effective communication or social skills, self awareness, self-regulation and motivation.
Overall, the literature gives the reader hope and explores concrete ways to improve your EQ.
Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence
by Gary Mack
Mind Gym explores the mental game of performance in sports, at work. I help my clients apply its principles in life and relationships as well. This book covers how much performance is actually in your head. It’s not only what you physically do or how much you practice. This book gets specific. The aspects of performance it covers include – confidence, positive self-talk, focus, dealing with pressure, visualization, goal setting, and getting past mental blocks.
This is another book that has had a significant impact on my personal story and my work. It motivates you to improve your mental game by showing its importance.
The author gives clear exercises and activities to improve your mental performance – which in turn helps you develop your physical performance.
Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes
by William Bridges and Susan Bridges
Transitions talks about how change is a significant and natural part of life. The authors define change as an external event that requires, at times, extensive internal diversity. It describes transitions as the mental process of making adjustments and learning along the way.
It covers the three natural stages of any transition – an ending, the gray area in the middle, and a new beginning. It goes into great detail about each transition stage and how to work through the experience.
The Bridges are directive and give practical ways to work through transitions. They teach you to create meaning from life’s transitions.
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal From Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents
by Lindsay C. Gibson
I particularly like this book because it’s clear and direct. It starts by helping you recognize if you’re a child of immature parents. It then describes the emotional impact these parents have on their children throughout life. It also discusses how the adult child’s relationships are affected. From there, it helps you learn how to be aware of and heal the wounds caused by this type of parenting.
The book breaks these parents into four types – emotional, driven, passive, and rejecting. Gibson gives the reader practical advice on how to improve their own behavior. She also helps describe how to identify emotionally mature people.
The author presents this information in easy-to-digest chapters. I recommend you take the time you need to process the information. The encouraging piece is that there is a path forward.
Strong Mind Recap
Each book addresses different facets of improving your performance professionally and personally. Having a strong mind and being a self-leader includes:
Being a mature communicator
Recognizing the value of emotional intelligence
Knowing how to play the mental game
Working through change/transitions well
Healing from past wounds
People With a Strong Mind Don’t Do It Alone
If you find yourself motivated to improve your performance, but you’re feeling stuck and not making the progress you want, it’s important to have someone alongside you to help see the roadblocks you’re missing.
I do this in my practice as a mental performance coach and therapist. I help you work through the roadblocks getting in the way of reaching your goals. That way, you can improve your performance and quality of life.
I love helping people develop a strong mind for success in life. Let’s schedule a call and discuss what that could look like for you. Click here to book a free consultation call today, and let’s talk. I look forward to our conversation.
Thank you for reading! I trust it was helpful.
Self Leadership is for everyone, especially if you’re trying to develop a strong mind. Read my thoughts on it here.