My Suggested Reading List for Professional Development in Performance Psychology

I love to read. In truth, I prefer fiction to nonfiction but my job requires me to keep up with the current happenings in the field. What you’ll find below are my suggestions for the best offerings in the broad field of performance psychology. You’ll see a lot of emphasis on positive psychology, sport/exercise, and faith-based books. I think there’s a lot of breadth in these selections and hopefully a little something for everyone.

I’d love YOUR suggestions on things to read or your thoughts on the books I’ve listed. I’ll also update the list from time to time.

Armstrong, L., & Jenkins, S. (2001). It’s not about the bike: My journey back to life. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group.

Biswas-Diener, R., & Dean, B. (2007). Positive psychology coaching: Putting the science of  happiness to work for your clients. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Covey, S. R. (1989). The seven habits of highly effective people: Restoring the character ethic. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Csikszentmihaly, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers.

Csikszentmihaly, M. (1997). Finding flow: The psychology of engagement with everyday life. New York: BasicBooks.

Davis, M., Eshelman, E. R., McKay, M. (2008). The relaxation & stress reduction workbook, 6^th Edition. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Dungy, T., & Whitaker, N. (2007). Quiet strength: The principles, practices, & priorities of a winning life. Carol Stream,IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Frankl, V. E. (1992). Man’s search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy, 4^th Edition. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

Fredrickson, B. (2007). Positivity: Groundbreaking research reveals how to embrace the hidden strength of positive emotions, overcome negativity, and thrive. New York: Crown Publishers.

Halden-Brown, S. (2003). Mistakes worth making: How to turn sports errors into athletic excellence. Champaign,IL: Human Kinetics.

Hardy, L., Jones, G., & Gould, D. (1996). Understanding psychological preparation for sport: Theory and practice of elite performers. Chichester, West Sussex, England: Wiley.

Jackson, S., A., & Csikszentmihaly, M. (1999). Flow in sport: The keys to optimal experiences and performances. Champaign,IL: Human Kinetics.

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, F. P. (2009). Joining together: Group theory and group skills, 10^th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Lucado, M. (2006). Facing your giants: A David and Goliath story for everyday people. Nashville, TN: Integrity Publishers.

Lucado, M. (2004). It’s not about me: Rescue from the life we thought would make us happy. Nashville,TN: Integrity Publishers.

MacDonald, G. (2004). A resilient life: You can move ahead no matter what. Nashville,TN: Nelson Books.

Maxwell, J., C., & Dornan, J. (1997). Becoming a person of influence: How to positively impact the lives of others. Nashville,TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Murphy, S. (2005). The sport psych handbook: A complete guide to today’s best mental training techniques. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Nakamura, R. M. (1996). The power of positive coaching. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Niven, D. (2003). The 100 simple secrets of healthy people: What scientists have learned and how you can use it. San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins.

Niven, D. (2001). The 100 simple secrets of happy people: What scientists have learned and how you can use it. San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins.

Orlick, T. (2008). In pursuit of excellence, 4^th Edition.Champaign,IL: Human Kinetics.

Peck, M. S. (1978). The road less traveled: A new psychology of love, traditional values and spiritual growth. New York: Touchstone.

Porter, K. (2003). The mental athlete: Inner training for peak performance in all sports. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Rotella, B., & Cullen, B. (1995). Golf is not a game of perfect. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Seligman, M. E. P. (1990). Learned optimism: How to change your mind and your life. New York: Free Press.

Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York: Free Press.

Vealey, R. S. (2005). Coaching for the inner edge. Morgantown,WV: Fitness Information Technology.

Vernacchia, R. A. (2003). Inner strength: The mental dynamics of athletic performance. Palo Alto, CA: Warde Publishers, Inc.

Vernacchia, R., McGuire, R., & Cook, D. (1996). Coaching mental excellence: It does matter whether you win or lose. Portola Valley, CA: Warde Publishers, Inc.

Warren, F. (2005). PostSecret: Extraordinary confessions from ordinary lives. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Warren, R. (2002). The purpose driven life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Wooden, J., & Tobin, J. (2004). They call me coach. Chicago, IL: Contemporary Books.

Wootten, M., & Gilbert, B. (1997). A coach for all seasons: The Morgan Wootten story. Indianapolis, IN: Masters Press.

 

The Problem with Weathering the Storm II

For the man sound in body and serene of mind
there is no such thing as bad weather; every day has its beauty, and storms
which whip the blood do but make it pulse more vigorously.
– George Gissing, “Winter,” The
Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft, 1903

If you missed Part I of this discussion, I recommend that you read this first as it sets the stage for the ten suggestions which follow (five here and five in a subsequent post). These suggestions have little context without understanding my initial argument.

1. Rediscover, redefine, and reinforce your purpose.
The venerated  psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, drawing on his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, noted that regardless of the situation in which one finds him/herself, life has meaning and purpose – even  during the worst of circumstances (such as during the middle of a storm, perhaps?).  Based on observations of fellow inmates, he discovered that psychological damage can occur if purpose is lost. This can eventually result in physical, emotional, and mental trauma as well. Said another way, growth and progress are  likely to slow or stop completely if purpose is lost. Although Frankl’s work  applies to individuals’ purpose, there is also relevance at an organizational level. If an organization’s purpose is blocked, lost, or non-existent because  of the storm, that organization should not expect to reach its potential. For this organization, weathering the storm is a best-case scenario. What is needed is a complete reevaluation of the organization’s purpose. This is not a simple review of the mission statement or a redressing of the vision. If you expect to attack the storm and live to tell about it, you will need a comprehensive re-envisioning of your purpose. For success to have a chance, you must be able to operationalize, via verbalization and appropriate communication, what it is that your organization wants to accomplish. The more specific your operationalization, the more meaningful, realistic, and achievable your purpose will be. This can be a painful and lengthy experience, but it is a critical first step in being a storm attacker.

2. Start at the top.
In the film Braveheart, you might recall one of the striking differences between the fighting styles of William Wallace, the hero, and Edward Longshanks, the evil king, was that Wallace rode out and fought with his troops while Longshanks observed safely from a distance. Storm attackers need to model William Wallace (probably in more ways than one!) and not Edward Longshanks. The fight must start at the top. The influential and powerful must be more sacrificial than those they lead. They must get their hands dirty and be eager to go beyond whatever it takes. If the leadership is not willing or capable of extraordinary action, how can they possibly inspire and guide the rank-and-file? Potential failure situations are an opportunity for masterful leadership, and those in position to make important decisions must make them in a selfless and preternatural fashion. Which leads to …

3. Never settle for mediocrity.
A spoof on the popular inspirational posters (called Demotivators) says, “Mediocrity: It takes a lot less time and people won’t notice the difference until it’s too late”. (The accompanying picture shows the Leaning Tower of Pisa.) Mediocrity is a problem in our instant gratification world. The easiest way is rarely the best way. Do not let the preceding quote become your mission statement because you simply took the easy way out and are content to weather the storm. Overcoming mediocrity segues nicely into …

4. Become creative and visionary.
Storm attackers muster the courage to discover new methods that might push back the front. A potential
failure situation must be seen as an opportunity for reinvention and reinvigoration, not as an irritant to be tolerated. Stephanie Parson, Ph.D., said, “Being a visionary leader is the ability to see beyond today,
being able to see beyond the current circumstances and being able to see the outcome days, months and even years before it occurs. In some cases you may not live to see the fulfillment of the vision. I am reminded of Dr. King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, he was not able to physically see the total completion of this vision; however he inspired others to see the same vision and to do their part in bringing the vision closer to completion. He had a vision, he communicated that vision, everything he did was associated with attaining that vision and he inspired others to catch the vision and run with it.” With some basic training and sufficient resources most people can develop into fairly competent visionaries, but creativity might be a different story. Luckily, Hugh MacLeod has a funny and poignant essay entitled How to be Creative which gives 26 suggestions that might be useful if you choose to pursue creativity. I recommend downloading his essay.

5. Be willing to trim the fat.
This suggestion is related to the previous three and could also be stated like this: know what fat needs trimming, and keep some fat for flavor. Any steak lover knows that if you cut off all the fat, the meat will inevitably lose some of its flavor. This suggestion relates to the previous in that the metaphoric fat is not always evident. On a steak, it’s quite obvious what is fat and what is meat, but when we’re talking about an organization, the line between meaningful stuff and unnecessary fluff can be blurry. The trimming should begin at the top
(of the organization, not the meat), but it will also require a degree of vision and creativity to identify. Also be aware that “fat” does not always equate with “expenses”. The most likely culprit is unnecessary expenses, but it could also but be personnel, programs, processes, or a myriad of other factors associated with your particular situation. When it comes to trimming fat, there should be no “sacred cows”: nothing should be off limits; everything should be up for grabs.

The final five suggestions will be presented soon in Part III …

 

We  don’t like to take risks because they push us out of our safely
constructed world and into the unknown.