7 Lessons to Help You Unlock an Elite Competitor's Mindset

32 snips

Oct 16, 2025

This episode dives into lessons from recent sports highlights. Discover how the Tigers and Mariners showcased focus in a grueling 15-inning game. A’ja Wilson's victory highlights the power of support and patience in success. The importance of community in countering doubt among elite athletes is explored, along with sportsmanship exemplified at the Chicago Marathon. Learn about the balance between preparation and letting go, and takeaway seven key insights on healthy competition and mental resilience.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ADVICE

Be Where Your Feet Are

Focus on the immediate next action and ignore past mistakes or distant outcomes.
Managing the present moment gives you the best shot at recovering and executing under pressure.

INSIGHT

Mistakes Happen Even To The Best

Even elite athletes panic and make costly mistakes; it's part of competition.
The team's immediate compassion and consolation matters more than public outrage in that moment.

ADVICE

Respond, Don't React To Errors

Resist reacting angrily to a teammate's error; ask what they need to perform again.
Use calm, constructive responses to restore confidence and improve future performance.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

We talk a lot on this podcast about the principles that underlie true excellence, so we’re especially excited when we see those core ideas exemplified in the real world. On today’s podcast, Steve, Brad, and Clay each pick one sports moment from this past weekend that illustrated a lesson (or three) about healthy competition, unpacking what you can learn from the Tigers and Mariners going 15 innings, A’ja Wilson’s third WNBA title, and the Chicago Marathon. All in all, we ended up with seven lessons about how to compete the right way.

Pre-Order Our New Book, "The Way of Excellence," Today—And Get Great Bonuses!

To get a limited first edition copy plus great exclusive bonuses, pre-order The Way of Excellence from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop,org, and then fill out this form with your order number to receive your bonuses today.

Whether you are pushing your limits at the gym or on the track, practicing guitar, coaching or leading a team, honing a craft, practicing medicine, or finally taking on that big creative project, this book will help you create, contribute, maximize your potential, and be the best and most authentic version of yourself.

Steve Kerr, nine-time NBA champion and coach of Team USA, read an early copy and called it "an absolutely beautiful book...it captures a lot of what I believe as a coach."

Pre-orders are a huge help to us and the best way to support our work. They are also a great deal for you. As an "excellence, actually" listener, if you pre-order today, you'll get access to incredible exclusive bonus materials—including a professionally produced 90-minute masterclass, a workbook with interactive exercises for each chapter, a comprehensive reading list, and more. It's an absurdly good value.

1. Click to pre-order The Way of Excellence

2. Fill out this form with your order number to receive the bonuses.

Click here for an AI-generated, unedited transcript

If you have a question for us, send an email to clay.growtheq@gmail.com or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.