Strycharczyk, D: Developing Mental Toughness

Peter Clough, Doug Strycharczyk

If there were any doubt about the importance of mental toughness and its effect on performance, this book dispels them thoroughly and convincingly. Like many common sense ideas, mental toughness is something that seems instinctively to be sound, but proving it as a real phenomenon and demonstrating that it can be measured and improved is far more demanding, making the work that Peter Clough and Doug Strycharczyk, and their colleagues and collaborators have done, enormously significant. The range of contexts in which mental toughness can be used is illustrated by the many case studies that are described here, but its value in developing leadership and management effectiveness is the area in which it has particular value. Practising leaders and managers, especially those currently being developed, will benefit from diagnosis of their mental toughness, and from learning how they can use appropriate strategies to enhance their capability. Peter Cheese, CEO for CIPD, and board member (and previously Chair) of ILM I have worked with the authors for the past 5 years and have seen at first-hand what difference understanding Mental Toughness can make in developing a truly high performing organisation. This is a timely and valuable addition to the reading list for anyone involved in people management or people development particularly in times of change and challenge. Neil Scales is the Chief Executive Officer of TransLink, responsible for leadership of the public transport network across South East Queensland. In this role Neil is accountable for an annual budget of more than $1.5 billion and partnerships with TransLink's 19 service delivery partners Mental Toughness has emerged as an important concept which can be used to help individuals understand their own capacity, strengths and weakness and helps coaches, managers and leaders understand the problems individuals and organisations may face when dealing with change. This timely book is very welcome - it describes in a