Podcast Summary
Focusing on athlete's autonomy and joy for successful development: Invest in high-quality apparel, embrace alcohol-free lifestyle, prioritize authentic support, and practice daily mindfulness for optimal athlete development
To develop successful and resilient athletes, it's essential to focus on their autonomy and joy in their pursuits rather than just their performance. Environment plays a significant role in our development, and as leaders, being authentic and supportive helps individuals grow both as athletes and individuals. Steve Magness, a former elite track and field athlete and expert on performance, emphasizes the importance of this approach. Additionally, investing in high-quality apparel and embracing an alcohol-free lifestyle can positively impact performance and overall well-being. Go Brewing offers delicious, alcohol-free brews, and On provides innovative, high-performance apparel. Lastly, waking up meditation practice is a simple yet effective way to begin a daily mindfulness practice.
Exploring Personal Growth with Steve Magness: Learning from Steve Magness's experiences in coaching and personal growth, listeners can enhance daily life and resilience through self-control and agency, as detailed in his new book 'Do Hard Things'.
Investing in personal growth through resources like the Waking Up app can significantly enhance daily life and resilience, offering a wealth of wisdom beyond meditation through courses on various topics. Steve Magness, a former collegiate track and field coach, emphasizes the importance of agency and self-control in his new book "Do Hard Things," which releases on June 21st. Magness shares his journey from high school track prodigy to retiring from coaching, discussing the challenges of balancing staying put and seeking new opportunities. He also opens up about his experience working under disgraced coach Alberto Salazar at the Nike Oregon Project. Overall, Magness's story combines inspiring anecdotes and practical takeaways on unlocking true toughness and reaching one's potential. Listeners can try Waking Up for free with a 30-day trial using the link wakingup.com/richroll.
From struggling runner to successful coach: Determination and hard work can lead to significant improvement, but it's important to not define oneself solely by performance and broaden focus for long-term success.
Determination and hard work can help overcome challenges and lead to significant improvement, even if progress seems slow at first. The speaker, Steve Magness, shares his personal experience of going from barely being able to run 3 miles to running a 4:01 mile in high school, despite initially wanting to quit. His coaches recognized his potential and encouraged him to push through, leading him to eventually skyrocket in his running abilities. However, after reaching a plateau, he realized the importance of broadening his focus and not defining his identity solely based on his performance. This experience influenced him to write books on goal-setting and approaching achievements in a healthier and more holistic way. Despite not breaking the 4-minute barrier in high school, Magness learned valuable lessons that shaped his future success.
From helping high school kids to coaching elite athletes: Stay open to new opportunities and follow your passions, even when they don't fit neatly into your plans.
Sometimes, finding your passion and purpose in life can come from the most unexpected places. Steve Magness started out by helping high school kids with their training out of a sense of duty and interest. This led him to coaching, and eventually to a blog where he shared his knowledge of exercise science and psychology. His dedication and unique perspective caught the attention of Alberto Salazar, who offered him a position as an assistant coach at the Nike Oregon Project. This unexpected opportunity launched Magness into a career as an elite track and field coach, despite his initial plans and struggles. This story highlights the importance of staying open to new opportunities and following your passions, even when they don't fit neatly into your plans.
Staying vigilant and trusting instincts are crucial in ethical dilemmas: Recognize red flags, trust your instincts, and don't hesitate to challenge unethical practices, even if it means confronting those in power.
Becoming aware of red flags and trusting your instincts are crucial when confronted with ethical dilemmas. Steve Magness, a former coach for Nike's elite running team, shares his story of gradually uncovering unethical practices within the team. Initially, he dismissed certain incidents as anomalies, but as he continued to notice inconsistencies and potential rule-breaking, his suspicions grew. The turning point came when he discovered a research report mentioning Galen Rupp's use of testosterone medication. Despite feeling uncertain and intimidated, Magness confronted his boss, Alberto Salazar, about the issue. Salazar dismissed his concerns, leading Magness to suspect something was amiss. The use of L-Carnitine IV drips, which were not approved for performance enhancement but were administered to Magness for four hours, further solidified his belief in the team's unethical practices. Magness's story serves as a reminder that staying vigilant and trusting your instincts are essential when dealing with ethical dilemmas, even if it means challenging those in positions of power.
Alberto Salazar's manipulation led Steve Magness to make a regrettable decision: Alberto Salazar manipulated Steve Magness into undergoing an unproven and risky L-Carnitine injection, exploiting his vulnerabilities to maintain power and control.
The pressure to perform and the manipulation by Alberto Salazar led Steve Magness, a former athlete and coach under Salazar, to make a regrettable decision. Salazar, who was known for his ability to identify and control athletes, convinced Magness to undergo an experimental L-Carnitine injection despite its unproven effectiveness and potential risks. Magness, who was desperate to prove himself and secure his job, agreed to the procedure, trusting Salazar and the team doctor. This incident, along with Salazar's manipulative tactics such as withholding Magness' salary and promising promotions, created a cycle of dependency and control that Magness could not see at the time. Looking back, Magness realizes that Salazar intentionally exploited his vulnerabilities to maintain power and influence.
Manipulation and Harm in Elite Athletics: Athlete's experiences in elite athletics can involve manipulation, body shaming, and disregard for ethics, leading to negative consequences.
The world of elite athletics can be manipulative and harmful, as evidenced by the experiences of some athletes, including the speaker. The speaker, a young and inexperienced coach, was manipulated by his superior, Alberto Salazar, who used tactics like gaslighting and body shaming to control his athletes. The speaker was given an IV drip of L-Carnitine, an amino acid that helps the body burn less carbohydrates, which gave him an extraordinary performance boost. However, the speaker began to question the ethics of the situation and realized that science and data were disregarded in favor of Alberto's subjective perceptions. This led the speaker to leave the team, but not before facing threats of blackballing. The experience taught the speaker the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of intimidation and fear.
Struggling with the decision to report doping in athletics: Despite fear of retaliation and personal consequences, an anonymous whistleblower ultimately found the courage to report doping in athletics, leading to a major investigation and exposure of wrongdoing.
The interviewee, despite having knowledge of potential doping in athletics, struggled with the decision to come forward and report it. The fear of retaliation and potential personal consequences held her back initially. However, as time passed and more evidence came to light, she felt compelled to take action, sending an anonymous email to USADA. The process was long and difficult, with the interviewee facing intense scrutiny and pressure. Ultimately, her decision to speak out led to a major investigation and exposed a significant issue in the world of athletics. It serves as a reminder of the ethical dilemmas that can arise when faced with knowledge of wrongdoing and the courage it takes to come forward.
Steve Magness's harrowing experience as a whistleblower in elite track and field athletics: Magness endured intense scrutiny, public shaming, and even an FBI visit during his time as a whistleblower, but managed to clarify complex sports science in front of a panel and minimize contact with the accused since then.
Steve Magness's experience as a whistleblower in the world of elite track and field athletics was a harrowing and complex ordeal. Before the media exposure and legal proceedings in 2014-2015, Magness had to prepare for the potential fallout by publishing a book and distancing himself from the industry. The period leading up to his testimony against Alberto Salazar was filled with intense scrutiny, including public shaming, stalking by reporters, and even an FBI visit to his home. Testifying in front of a panel and being cross-examined was the most challenging experience of his life, as he tried to clarify nuanced and technical aspects of high-level sports and the science behind them. Despite the intimidation and lingering presence of Nike personnel, Magness has had minimal contact with Salazar since then, and many of the individuals involved have been replaced.
Understanding the Influence of Environment on Athletes: The environment significantly impacts athletes' decisions and actions, and it's crucial to prioritize their health and well-being over winning at all costs.
Our environment significantly influences our decisions and actions, more than we often realize. This was a revelation for the speaker, who had worked in the world of track and field and had witnessed firsthand instances of doping in the sport. Initially, they were cynical and struggled to remain enthusiastic about the sport. However, they came to understand that it's important to have compassion for those involved, as they may be driven by the need for career success in a sport with limited financial rewards. The speaker also reflected on their own experiences and realized that challenges and setbacks can ultimately lead to personal growth and the development of one's identity. This perspective shifted their focus from winning at all costs to prioritizing the health and well-being of athletes, which became the foundation for their coaching philosophy.
Embracing Surrender in Sport and Life: Learning to let go, surrender, and practice mindfulness can help athletes and individuals manage stress and avoid triggering health issues, promoting overall well-being and success in various aspects of life.
The experience of vocal cord dysfunction during a college running race forced coach Kara Goucher to reconsider her approach to toughness and stress management. Unlike previous beliefs that pushing through pain was the answer, she learned the importance of letting go, surrender, and mindfulness to avoid triggering her vocal cord dysfunction. This experience challenged her deeply-held beliefs about toughness in sport, which are often rooted in the conventional narrative of ignoring pain and emotions. The incident also highlighted the importance of cultivating good human beings, not just great athletes, and the principles learned as a coach that translate into the workplace and personal life. The book "Do Hard Things" explores these ideas further.
The misconception of building toughness through extreme tests: Effective development involves focusing on mental skills and creating a supportive environment, rather than just testing limits.
The myth of toughness being built through extreme tests and weeding out the weak is a misconception. The military, for instance, understands that developing mental skills and resilience is crucial, and they invest heavily in research and resources to teach these skills before exposing recruits to challenging situations. The famous stories of rigorous training camps, like the one at Texas A&M, may create a magnetic field of legend, but the reality is that these camps were often sorting exercises rather than developmental ones. By focusing on mental skills and creating a supportive environment, we can effectively develop individuals and teams, rather than just testing their limits.
Shifting from toughness to positivity for mental resilience: Effective leadership requires a shift towards positivity, empowerment, and understanding mental resilience. Disconnection under pressure can be prevented by creating a supportive environment.
Traditional notions of toughness and discipline, such as those exemplified by figures like Bobby Knight, may not be effective or sustainable in the long term. Instead, effective leadership and motivation require a shift towards positivity, empowerment, and understanding the importance of mental resilience. Research shows that new soldiers and athletes often experience disassociation, or a disconnection from reality, under pressure. To prevent this and foster mental toughness, it's crucial to create an environment that supports individuals and encourages them to respond rather than react. This approach not only benefits individuals but also teams, organizations, and entire cultures. The book "Mindset" by Carol Dweck explores this concept extensively and provides valuable insights from both the individual and leadership perspectives. Fear may initially drive results, but it's not a sustainable motivator and can hinder the attraction and development of top talent. Instead, focusing on growth mindset, positivity, and empowerment fosters long-term success and mental resilience.
Embrace reality for resilience: Acknowledge situation demands, assess capabilities, have hope, and prepare for challenges to build resilience, leading to a testosterone and adrenaline-driven state.
Embracing reality and having a balanced perspective is key to building resilience. This means acknowledging the demands of a situation and having a realistic assessment of one's capabilities, while also allowing oneself to reach beyond comfort zone and strive for growth. Embracing reality also involves having hope for the future and preparing for challenges, rather than being caught off guard and reacting with fear or panic. Biologically, this preparation and challenge response leads to a more testosterone and adrenaline-driven state, as opposed to a cortisol-driven threat response. So, instead of putting on a tough exterior that may ultimately crumble under pressure, it's important to be prepared and embrace the reality of the situation to build true resilience.
Embracing reality and distinguishing between false bravado and earned confidence: Confidence is earned through experience and evidence, intrinsic motivation brings joy and persistence, while extrinsic motivation can lead to fear and burnout.
Developing healthy confidence involves embracing reality, distinguishing between false bravado and earned confidence, and focusing on intrinsic motivation. Embracing reality means acknowledging the difference between the heat of the moment and rational ability to work through things. The distinction between bravado and real confidence lies in the fact that confidence needs evidence and is earned through experience. Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, comes from within and brings joy, while extrinsic motivation is external and can lead to fear and burnout. An example of this is in sports, where early success can lead to extrinsic motivation, but long-term success requires developing an inner drive and joy for the process. Ultimately, the goal is to make motivation self-generated, allowing for persistence and enjoyment over the long haul.
The burden of competition: Be aware of the potential shift from internal to external motivation in your pursuits and make a conscious effort to maintain a healthy relationship with the activity, focusing on joy and self-discovery rather than fear and obsession.
The pursuit of success and external validation can shift our internal motivation and turn a once enjoyable activity into a burdensome responsibility. This can lead to a fear-based approach to competition, rather than one driven by joy and self-discovery. It's important to be aware of this potential shift and make a conscious effort to maintain a healthy relationship with the activity, whether it be running, academics, or any other pursuit. The speaker in this conversation shares that they have intentionally stepped back from competitive running to avoid the burden and potential obsession that comes with it. Instead, they focus on the joy and experience of running, while still maintaining some structure and competition in their training. It's a balance that allows them to enjoy the activity without letting it consume them.
Listening to our bodies for true happiness and success: Effectively communicating with our bodies requires understanding the difference between genuine concerns and minor issues, trusting our instincts, and prioritizing self-awareness and self-care.
True happiness and success in life do not mean ignoring the darker emotions or ignoring the signals our bodies send us. Instead, we should view our emotions and physical sensations as a messaging system that provides valuable information. To effectively communicate with this system, we need to develop the vocabulary and understanding to discern the difference between genuine concerns and minor issues. Athletes serve as an excellent example, as they become attuned to their bodies but can also struggle with ignoring necessary rest or treatment. To truly listen to our bodies, we must also cultivate the confidence and security to trust our instincts and make informed decisions based on accurate information. This approach challenges the traditional notion of toughness and instead emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and self-care.
Empowering individuals for better performance and personal growth: Effective leaders empower individuals to make decisions and take ownership, fostering intrinsic motivation, confidence, and better performance. Creating a culture of psychological safety allows employees to take risks and make mistakes without fear, leading to improved productivity and a more engaged and innovative workforce.
Effective leadership involves empowering individuals to make their own decisions and take ownership of their actions, rather than controlling them through fear or punishment. This approach not only fosters intrinsic motivation and confidence but also leads to better performance and personal growth. The best leaders understand that giving people autonomy is essential for developing their abilities and instilling trust. An example of this is Steve Kerr's approach with the Golden State Warriors, where he handed over the reins to his players during a championship season, demonstrating his faith in their abilities and allowing them to show what they could do. In the workplace, this translates to creating a culture of psychological safety, where employees feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes without fear of reprisal. By providing agency and trusting your team, you'll not only see improved productivity but also a more engaged and innovative workforce.
Creating mental space in high-pressure situations: Practicing mindfulness and having calm conversations can help individuals create mental space and make optimal decisions in high-pressure situations by dampening down the amygdala's alarm signals.
In order to effectively navigate high-pressure situations and make good decisions, it's essential to create mental space instead of reacting impulsively. This concept applies to various aspects of life, including education and athletics. The mindfulness practices derived from eastern modalities can help individuals cultivate this habit of creating space. However, it's important to remember that our response to stress is not binary; instead, it involves a complex interplay of hormonal and behavioral responses. To prepare for these situations, athletes can practice having calm conversations, which involve being put in uncomfortable situations and learning to sit with the discomfort using various strategies like visualization, self-talk, and shifting perspective. By training the prefrontal cortex to dampen down the amygdala's alarm signals, individuals can develop the capacity to remain calm and make optimal decisions even under duress.
Managing Emotional Responses: Learn to manage emotional responses, switch between focus and expansion, and use diverse mental tools to navigate various challenges effectively.
Our brains can be trained to react strongly to stimuli, but this heightened emotional response can also become a disadvantage. The constant reaction mode can make us hypersensitive, and in today's world, this is often seen in our use of social media. To counteract this, we need to learn to manage our emotional responses and not see everything as a threat. Flow states, where we are fully immersed in an activity, are ideal, but we can't always be in flow. When we're not, we need to be able to switch to a "clutch state," where we make deliberate decisions despite high levels of arousal. Training our minds to zoom in and out, to focus and then expand our attention, can help us navigate these situations effectively. Ultimately, having a diverse set of mental tools allows us to respond appropriately to various challenges.
Train your attention for better focus and performance: Through deliberate practice, we can hone our attention skills and improve our ability to focus and prioritize in complex situations. Exposing ourselves to increasingly difficult challenges can help us build resilience and achieve greater success.
Attention is a trainable tool that can be honed through deliberate practice. This is particularly important when facing complex or high-pressure situations where the ability to focus and prioritize effectively can make a significant difference. The example of fighter pilots using simulators to train their attention is a powerful one – they need to be able to quickly identify and respond to multiple threats, and checking in with a coach after each session helps them understand where they need to improve. Similarly, in other pursuits like running, our focus during practice may not prepare us for the intensity and focus required during a race. To effectively train our attention, it's important to see practice as an opportunity to develop mental and psychological tools, rather than just a means to achieve physical goals. Additionally, exposing ourselves to increasingly difficult challenges can help us build resilience and transcend discomfort, allowing us to tackle even the most daunting tasks with greater ease. Ultimately, by understanding the importance of attention and deliberate practice, we can unlock our full potential and achieve greater success in all areas of our lives.
Authentic leadership creates resilient teams: Authentic leaders build trust through genuine connections and vulnerability, creating a supportive environment where team members feel a sense of belonging
Authentic leadership is key to creating resilient teams. Leaders must be genuine and passionate about creating a supportive environment where team members feel a sense of belonging. Authenticity breeds trust, and vulnerability is a necessary component of authentic leadership. Leaders should find ways to foster genuine connections with their team members, whether through shared interests or thoughtfully planned events. The growth and trust within a team come from embracing the uncomfortable and navigating vulnerability and authenticity together. The misconception that vulnerability weakens trust is just that – a misconception. Instead, it is through the expression of vulnerability that even greater trust is built. The challenges and fears we face in embracing vulnerability and authenticity are indeed hard things, but they are not the real hard things. The real hard things are the nuanced and complex emotional requirements of effective leadership.
Pushing children into endurance sports can impact their motivation negatively: Parents should be mindful of their children's intrinsic motivation in sports and avoid placing undue pressure for attention, love, and approval.
Pushing young children into endurance sports, such as marathons, based on the family's enthusiasm and participation, can have negative psychological effects. The child's motivation may not be intrinsic and could stem from a desire for attention, love, and approval from the parents. This can lead to identity cementation around the sport and a sense of approval from parents becoming a driving factor for the child's involvement. Parents, who have experienced high levels of athletic achievement themselves, tend to be more relaxed and supportive during their children's events, allowing them to flourish without added pressure. It's essential for parents to be aware of the potential psychological baggage they may be placing on their children through their athletic pursuits.
Supporting children's unique interests and abilities: Encourage children's choices, balance hard training with easy days, and remember they come through us, not from us.
Children have unique interests and abilities that parents cannot fully predict or influence. It's essential to support and encourage their choices, even if they differ from what we might have imagined for them. Regarding running specifically, the key to success lies in balancing hard training with adequate easy days. Easy runs should be just that – easy – allowing for normal conversation without labored breathing. This forms the foundation for aerobic development, which is crucial for longer distances. Remember, children are individuals who come through us, not from us, and their growth is a personal and enriching experience for parents as teachers. As for the ongoing debate about the importance of slow, easy runs versus high-intensity workouts, the consensus is that both are necessary for a well-rounded training regimen. Easy runs build the foundation, while harder workouts add the flavor.
Balancing easy and hard runs for growth and avoiding plateaus: Confidently run easy on slow days and push appropriately on harder days for optimal training and growth.
The importance of balancing easy and hard running in your training regimen. According to Steve Magness, author of the upcoming book "Do Hard Things," this balance, or training the polarities, is crucial for growth and avoiding plateaus. Magness emphasizes that having the confidence to run easy on slow days is essential, as many people struggle with trusting their training plans or coaches. On harder days, it's important not to hold back but to push yourself appropriately. The book, which comes out on June 21st, aims to provide insights and guidance on this topic. To learn more about Magness and his work, visit his website, stevemagnes.com, or find him on social media. Additionally, he co-hosts the Growth Equation podcast with Brad Stolberg, which can be found at thegrowtheq.com.
