HBR 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness
Various Contributors
Harvard Business Review Press (2017)

“Champions get up when they can’t.” Jack Dempsey

This is one in a series of volumes that anthologizes what the editors of the Harvard Business Review consider to be “must reads” in a given business subject area, in this instance mental toughness. I have no quarrel with any of their selections, each of which is eminently deserving of inclusion. Were all of these eleven articles purchased separately as reprints, the total cost would be about $100 and the practical value of any one of them far exceeds that. Given the fact that Amazon now sells this one for only $20.99, that’s quite a bargain.

The same is true of volumes in other series such as HBR Guide to…, Harvard Business Review on…, and Harvard Business Essentials. I also think there is great benefit derived from the convenience of having a variety of perspectives and insights gathered in a single volume.

In all of the volumes in the HBR 10 Must Read series that I have read thus far, the authors and their HBR editors make skillful use of several reader-friendly devices that include “Idea in Brief” and “Idea in Action” sections, checklists with and without bullet points, boxed mini-commentaries (some of which are “guest” contributions from other sources), and graphic charts and diagrams that consolidate especially valuable information. These and other devices facilitate, indeed accelerate frequent review later of key points later.

Those who read this volume will gain valuable information, insights, and counsel that will help them to thrive on pressure like an olympics athlete, manage and overcome negative emotions by acknowledging them, plan short-term goals to achieve long-term aspirations, surround yourself with the people who will push you the hardest (i.e. tell you what you need to know, not what you want to hear), use challenges to become a better leader, use creativity to move past trauma and self-doubt, and understand which tools your mind needs to recover from setbacks.

Whatever their size and nature may be, all organizations need mental toughness at all levels and in all areas of the given enterprise. Angela Duckworth calls it “grit,” Lou Grant calls it “spunk,” and Winston Churchill insists, “Never, never, never, never give up!” It has many names and many faces but I think Dempsey’s assertion best describes the determination on which peak performance depends.

For example, in “Crucibles in Leadership,” Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas share their thoughts about how effective leaders cope with severe stress in the workplace. What they call crucibles “force leaders into deep self-reflection, where they examine their values, question their assumptions, and hone their judgment.

“Some crucibles are violent and life-threatening (encounters with prejudice, illness); others are more positive, yet profoundly challenging (such as demanding bosses or mentors). Whatever the shape, leaders create a narrative telling how they met the challenge.

“Four skills enable leaders to learn from adversity: [1] Engage Others in shared meaning. [2] A distinctive, compelling voice. [3] Integrity. [4] Adaptive to capacity.” The other three are “A distinctive, compelling voice,” “Integrity,” and “Adaptive Capacity.”

As for the other ten essays:

o Graham James explains “how the best of the best get better and better.
o Martin E.P. Seligman explains how to develop a high level of expediency.
o Roderick Gilkey and ClintKilts Explain how to develop a high level of cognitive fitness.
o Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz explain how to accelerate the development of “corporate athletes.”
o Alia Crum and Thomas Crum focus on when stress can be good and when it can’t…also why.
o Joshua D. Margolis and Paul G. Stolz explain how to bounce back from adversity.
o Mitchell Lee Marks, Philip Mirvis, and Ron Ashkenas explain how to rebound from career setbacks.
o Glenn E. Mangurian explains how to realize what you are made of…for better or worse.
o Jeff Weiss, Aram Dinigian, and Jonathan Hughes explain what “extreme negotiations are and when they can be advantageous.
o In the bonus article, while interviewed by Sarah Green Carmichael, Martin Seligman shares his thoughts about the most important dos and don’ts to keep in mind when involved in post-traumatic growth and efforts to build resilience.

Note the frequency of the word “how.” All of the contributors to various HBR article anthologies are driven by a passion to help as many people as possible to understand HOW to achieve success, whatever the given objective(s) may be. The best of cutting-edge thinking is produced by pragmatists who are determined to understand WHAT works as well as WHY. Only then can they focus on HOW.

For many readers, this volume in the HBR 10 Must Read series could prove to be of greatest interest and value when challenged by an unexpected threat or setback.