Winning the Inner Game
Ready — Denis Waitley, a celebrated performance psychologist, devoted his life to helping people turn potential into performance. His work bridges the gap between thought and action. He discovered that motivation is a disciplined mindset. For Waitley, winning begins in the theater of the mind rather than on the field of competition.
Set — “You must first win the mind game before you can win the outer game,” was his core idea. To be successful, leaders must cultivate inner victory before outer success.
According to Waitley’s research, this happens by…
Cultivating Self-Leadership. Waitley believed motivation grows from personal responsibility. Leaders who discipline their thoughts, manage their emotions, and align actions with values become examples worth following.
Visualizing Success Daily. Waitley taught that mental rehearsal precedes real-world excellence. By vividly picturing success — conversations, meetings, goals achieved — leaders train their subconscious to act with confidence and calm under pressure. What we repeatedly imagine, we eventually realize.
Turning Obstacles into Opportunities. To Waitley, setbacks are not stop signs but steppingstones. Motivated leaders interpret failure as feedback, asking, “What can I learn from this?” This mindset fuels persistence and keeps teams resilient when results lag effort.
Affirming Others’ Potential. Waitley emphasized that motivation thrives on affirmation, not criticism. Leaders who celebrate effort, recognize progress, and speak to potential help others rewrite the scripts that hold them back. Encouragement is fuel for excellence.
Grow! Winners form the habit of doing what losers don’t like to do. You’ll transform motivation from a temporary spark into a steady flame by practicing the habits of self-discipline, vision, and belief in your ability to perform.
Two Questions
In what ways are you modeling self-leadership for those who look to you for direction?
What daily habits are helping you and your team “win the mind game” before the workday begins?