Photo Courtesy U.S. Navy SEALS

Q: What is mental toughness?

A: An individual who possesses mental toughness is somebody who can handle pressures, distractions and other people trying to break his or her concentration. It involves focus, discipline, self-confidence, patience, persistence, accepting responsibility without whining or excuses, visualizing, tolerating pain and maintaining a positive approach. It is a learned skill for the athlete, warrior and business executive.

Q: You and your colleague have devoted years to researching mental toughness. Why do you believe it to be so critical?

A: Leaders in the boardroom, courtroom, athletic field or in combat must exercise mental focus, a mental discipline, in order to be successful. After researching this field for several years, Dr. Chlebicki and I have found this is a teachable skill. We are excited about the implications of our research for training leaders in the fields of management and education. We were even asked to give feedback to the Navy SEALS regarding teaching this skill.

Q: What were your findings regarding world-class athletes?

A: Dr. Chlebicki and I conducted considerable research in this field. She found that in competitive sports, where hundredths of a second separate winners from the rest, top-level trainers and coaches know that the defining difference is in mental preparation built upon strong physical ability and skill. The study of cognitive processes in athletes recognizes the importance of concentration, attention, memory, perception, mental imagery and decision-making. Visualization is considered to be a critical aspect in developing the athlete's mental toughness, creating a "mental image" and scripting responses to situations before they may happen. For others, attitude is most critical.

We asked champions to describe their processes toward championship achievement, and what facilitated their athletic and psychological development. Common to nearly all participants was a strong desire to do supremely well and work hard. A champion is one who fully actualizes his or her innate potential.

Q: What conclusions were drawn about the mental toughness of warriors?

A: Mental toughness for the military warrior is the ability to ignore pain and persevere in uncontrolled conditions. As the body gets stronger, the pain threshold increases. The mind is conditioned through conditioning the body. The will controls the mind to complete the mission. The warrior must be able to focus, persevere and possess the skill of self-discipline. The mentally tough warrior is intense, determined and possesses a "can-do" attitude. This individual is unwavering, strong-willed and possesses a "never-give-up" attitude. "Get through it" is repeated frequently, often silently. The mentally tough person conjures the ways to "complete the mission" and must function effectively in a multi-tasked environment. As one SEAL instructor said, "It is all about desire and sucking it up! It is about psychological strength and discipline.

Q: Are there commonalties among athletes, warriors and executives?

A: Yes. As the economy moves into a recession and as production and sales decline, the leadership of any business is faced with the daunting reality of not only sustaining but improving production and profits. Multiple pressures – some foreseen, others not, some controllable, others not – demand the business executive be focused, disciplined, self-confident, patient and persistent, all while maintaining a positive approach.

The daily difficult decisions, influenced by a multitude of factors, demand the business executive learn and execute a state of mental discipline equal to the world-class athlete or the warrior in combat. The executive's decisions affect the economic lives of hundreds and sometimes thousands of people. The executive in today's economy cannot assume such mental toughness is inherited or maintained; coaching and sustained focus on this skill is equal to sustaining any of life's critical skills. Just as the athlete and warrior continually practice for the critical moment, the executive must do likewise.

Q: How is mental toughness taught?

A: Through building blocks taught through mentoring and coaching. The building blocks of success demand clear expectations and clear outcomes, which in turn prepare a person for the inevitable time when the outcome is unknown, the finish line is unknown. Creating such scenarios builds problem-solving skills and self-discipline essential to mental toughness. Learning through "real-life" case studies builds knowledge, but the skill is only developed through repetitive practice. Young executives must be coached and mentored, and that is a benefit of the Marshall School’s undergraduate Career Advantage Program. The purpose of this program is to guide future executives to control their mind and spirit, and keep the will fortified despite adverse conditions. Each leader must develop his or her own techniques.

The mentally tough leader is upbeat, positive and possesses a mental edge that controls his or her inner voice. Success of business executives, world-class athletes and U.S. Navy SEALS is in large measure due to the skill of his or her mental toughness, combined with their competency and knowledge base. Leadership training programs that address the skill of mental toughness allow individual leaders to become well acquainted with their abilities, their boundaries and begin to understand and harness the power of their mind.

Q: What advice would you give to Marshall students and others who’d like to cultivate mental toughness?

A: What once was referred to as "guts" is now understood to be a teachable skill called "mental toughness." Mental toughness in today’s business executive is as essential to success as it is to the world-class athlete or the Special Forces warrior. Executives who are to be considered champions must possess and continually refine this essential skill.

For more on mental toughness, go to: http://www.marshall.usc.edu/media/mentaltoughness