Coaching and Developing Talent
When we asked our members to tell us their favorite books about coaching and developing talent we struck a chord as more than 100 different titles were mentioned in the survey. The top 10 responses, are included below. If you’ve read every one you are truly voracious. If not, you may want to print out this list and make a point of acquiring a couple that seem to be up your alley.
#1) THE TALENT CODE: GREATNESS ISN’T BORN. IT’S GROWN. HERE’S HOW by Daniel Coyle
In this groundbreaking work, journalist and New York Times bestselling author Coyle provides parents, teachers, coaches and businesspeople with tools they can use to maximize potential in themselves and others. Whether you’re coaching soccer or teaching a child to play the piano, writing a novel or trying to improve your golf swing, this revolutionary book shows you how to grow talent by tapping into a newly discovered brain mechanism. Drawing on cutting-edge neurology and firsthand research gathered on journeys to nine of the world’s talent hotbeds – from the baseball fields of the Caribbean to a classical music academy in upstate New York – Coyle identifies the three key elements that will allow you to develop your gifts and optimize your performance in sports, art, music, math, or just about anything in which you may have an interest.
#2) MINDSET: THE NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS by Carol Dweck
World-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, in decades of research on achievement and success, has discovered a truly groundbreaking idea, the power of our mindset. Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success, but whether we approach them with a fixed or a growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn’t foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades. We can also use the appropriate mindset to reach our own goals – personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs and athletes already know: How a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area.
#3) MAKE IT STICK: THE SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL LEARNING by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel
Drawing on recent discoveries in cognitive psychology and other disciplines, the authors offer concrete techniques for becoming a more productive learner. Memory plays a central role in our ability to carry out complex cognitive tasks. New insights into how memory is encoded, consolidated and later retrieved have led to a better understanding of how we learn. Grappling with the impediments that make learning challenging leads to more complex mastery and better retention of what was learned. More complex and durable learning come from self-testing, introducing certain difficulties in practice, waiting to re-study new material until a little forgetting has set in, and interleaving the practice of one skill or topic for another. “Make It Stick” will appeal to all those interested in the challenge of lifelong learning and self-improvement.
#4) MASTERY: THE KEYS TO SUCCESS AND LONG-TERM FULFILLMENT by George Leonard
Zen philosophy and his expertise in the martial art of aikido led bestselling author George Leonard to write this classic book, first published in 1992. In it, Leonard shows how the process of mastery can help us attain a higher level of excellence and a deeper sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in our daily lives. Whether you’re seeking to improve your career or your intimate relationships, increase self-esteem, or create harmony within yourself, this inspiring prescriptive guide will help you master anything you choose and achieve success in all areas of life.
#5) DRIVE: THE SURPRISING TRUTH ABOUT WHAT MOTIVATES US by Daniel H. Pink
Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money, or through a timeworn “carrot and stick” approach. That is a mistake, according to author Pink. In this provocative and persuasive book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction at work, at school, and at home is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does, and how that affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation: Autonomy, mastery, and purpose, offering wise and surprising techniques for putting them into action.
#6) FLOW: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s famous investigations of “optimal experience” have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. In this new edition of his groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness and greatly improve the quality of our lives.
#7) QUIET: THE POWER OF INTROVERTS IN A WORLD THAT CAN’T STOP TALKING by Susan Cain
In her book, “Quiet,” Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts, from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, “Quiet” has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and how they see themselves.
#8) MOTOR CONTROL AND LEARNING: A BEHAVIORAL APPROACH (FIFTH EDITION) by Richard Schmidt and Timothy Lee
Significantly updated with current research, new learning features, and more references, the fifth edition of “Motor Control and Learning: A Behavioral Approach” combines text, figures, and practical examples to explain this complex topic in a clear and comprehensive manner. This outstanding introduction to the field focuses on motor behavior that can be observed directly as well as the many factors that affect the quality of these performances and the ease with which they can be learned. [NOTE: Dr. Lee was a featured speaker at the 2011 Proponent Group Summit.]
#9) OUTLIERS: THE STORY OF SUCCESS by Malcolm Gladwell
In this bestseller from 2008, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of “outliers,” the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: What makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.
#10) BOUNCE: MOZART, FEDERER, PICASSO, BECKHAM, AND THE SCIENCE OF SUCCESS by Matthew Syed
In the vein of the international bestselling Freakonomics, award-winning journalist Matthew Syed reveals the hidden clues to success, in sports, business, school, and just about anything else that you’d want to be great at. Fans of “Predictably Irrational” and Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point” will find many interesting and helpful insights in “Bounce.”
#T-10) BUDDHA’S BRAIN: THE PRACTICAL NEUROSCIENCE OF HAPPINESS, LOVE, AND WISDOM by Rick Hanson and Richard Mendius
By combining breakthroughs in neuroscience with insights from thousands of years of mindfulness practice, you too can use your mind to shape your brain for greater happiness, love, and wisdom. “Buddha’s Brain” draws on the latest research to show how to stimulate your brain for more fulfilling relationships, a deeper spiritual life, and a greater sense of inner confidence and worth. Using guided meditations and mindfulness exercises, you’ll learn how to activate the brain states of calm, joy, and compassion instead of worry, sorrow, and anger. Most importantly, you will foster positive psychological growth that will literally change the way you live your daily life.
#T-10) EXTRAORDINARY GOLF By Fred Shoemaker
Most golfers approach the tee with a complex mental package: worries and judgments about their swing, the other person’s swing, the course, the weather, looking good, looking bad. They think about what’s wrong instead of what’s possible, and this is what Extraordinary Golf teaches: the art of the possible. Drawing on his experience teaching both amateurs and professionals for more than 15 years, Shoemaker combines a host of practical exercises with an entirely new point of view.