Philosopher's Notes

Steven Hayes is the creator of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an approach focused on accepting the present while committing to positive change. After exploring Marsha Linehan’s work on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), I noticed strong similarities between ACT and DBT, both balancing acceptance with action. These approaches are part of the "third wave" in cognitive behavioral therapy, alongside Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. This workbook offers both theory and practical exercises to apply ACT principles in real life. I’m excited to share some of my favorite Big Ideas, so let’s jump straight in!

John Maxwell is a renowned leadership expert, author, and speaker who has written over 100 books on leadership, personal development, and growth. His work, including the famous The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, has influenced millions, making complex leadership concepts accessible and actionable. Maxwell is also the founder of the John Maxwell Company, which provides leadership training worldwide. This is our fifth Note on one of Maxwell’s books, following How Successful People Think, Leadershift, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, and his classic, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. I read this one during my recent deep dive into peak performance and mental toughness for our work with Heroic athletes, teams, and coaches. As Maxwell says, if we want to forge excellence and activate our Heroic potential, we MUST get really good at using failure as fuel for growth. The book is packed with Big Ideas on how to do just that, and I’m excited to share some of my favorites. So, let’s jump straight in!

Marsha Linehan is the creator of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a pioneering approach originally designed to help those with suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviors, now widely used for various psychological challenges. Marsha’s story is nothing short of Heroic. After spending over two years in a mental health institution, she made a vow to help others escape their personal hells, leading to the creation of DBT. Today, she has trained over 10,000 therapists worldwide, and Time magazine named DBT one of the 100 most important new science ideas of our time. This book is packed with Big Ideas, and I’m excited to share some of my favorites, so let’s jump straight in!

Dr. Dave Alred MBE is an elite performance coach who works with top sports stars and teams, helping them deliver when the stakes are highest. Holding a PhD in Performing Under Pressure, he specializes in assisting athletes to excel in intense moments across sports like golf, rugby, and soccer. His book, recommended by one of the world's most elite athletes, is packed with Big Ideas for mastering mental toughness. This book is for anyone who wants to improve their performance under pressure. I'm excited to share some of my favorite Big Ideas, so let’s jump straight in!

Sam Walker is the founding editor of the Wall Street Journal’s daily sports coverage and has worked with elite sports teams, companies, and military units to help them cultivate leadership. In The Captain Class, he presents a “New Theory of Leadership” based on his study of over 1,000 teams, ultimately identifying 17 of the greatest sports dynasties of all time. The common thread? An uncommon captain. Walker’s research reveals that the most critical ingredient in a team that achieves and sustains historic greatness is the character of its leader. This book is packed with inspiring stories and Big Ideas about what makes these captains and their teams extraordinary. I’m excited to share some of my favorites, so let’s jump straight in!

Pressure. Every one of us feels it, but imagine the intense drama of a World Cup penalty kick—this is the heart of Geir Jordet's Pressure: Lessons from the Psychology of the Penalty Shootout. Jordet, a Professor in Psychology and Football at the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, explains what happens in the high-pressure moments on the football field. With a special focus on those nerve-wracking penalty shootouts, he examines the psychological and physiological changes that players undergo. From his extensive experience advising over 130 professional players across major European leagues, Jordet reveals why some players thrive and others falter when everything is on the line. I read this book in one sitting—it's packed with Big Ideas on handling pressure not just in sports but in every walk of life. I’m excited to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!

Bill Beswick is an applied performance psychologist who specializes in working with elite teams. As a gold-medal winner coaching the England basketball team in the Commonwealth Championships, Bill became the first performance psychologist operating fully in professional football, where he has worked with eight Premier and English Championship League teams, including Manchester United. This book is all about “changing your story” so you can “take control of your life, create change and achieve your goals.” It features 20 chapters featuring 20 life lessons drawn from elite sport we can apply to our lives. It’s packed with Big Ideas and I’m excited to share some of my favorites, so let’s jump straight in!

This is our fourth Note on one of Mark Divine’s books. Mark is a retired Navy SEAL Commander. He also has twenty-five years of experience as an entrepreneur. In this book, he teaches us how to be Uncommon. Over the last decade, Mark has become a dear friend, soul brother, and big investor in and supporter of Heroic. So... When he told me he had this book coming out, I was fired up to receive an advance copy. I read it in basically a single sitting. It’s fantastic. It’s packed with Big Ideas. I’m fired up to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!

Areté. It’s the one-word answer the Stoics would give you if you asked them how to live a good life, the one-word summation of our philosophy at Heroic, and the title of Brian Johnson’s book featuring 451 ideas/chapters to help us activate our Heroic Potential. As you know if you’re familiar with Brian and his iconoclastic style, the book is a quick-reading, conversational, knock-your-socks-off-with-practical-wisdom masterpiece.

Caroline Adams Miller is one of my favorite human beings on the planet. And... This book is one of my ALL-TIME favorite books. In fact, it’s at least tied for first as my all-time favorite positive psychology book. Caroline has a remarkable ability to make the basic science of well-being SUPER PRACTICAL and the density of TRULY PRACTICAL, SCIENTIFICALLY GROUNDED wisdom in this book is astonishing. Gary Latham wrote the foreword. As you may know, Dr. Latham (and his colleague Dr. Edwin Locke) are THE WORLD’s preeminent authorities on the science of goal setting. His two-page foreword in and of itself is amazing. He tells us: “This book is a ‘must read’ because it brings science to life—your life.” I agree. I highly recommend you check it out. As you can imagine, the book is PACKED with Big Ideas. It’s going to be tough to focus on just a handful of my favorite Big Ideas, so let’s get straight to work!