Strategic Minds

About Strategic Minds

Are you tactical or strategic? Research shows that it’s the difference between bankruptcy and a Kevlar competitive advantage. In a world where bad strategy is the leading cause of business failure, and only one out of every four leaders are truly strategic, strategic fitness is the meta-skill of elite executives. On Strategic Minds, you’ll journey with New York Times & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Rich Horwath into conversations with extraordinary leaders and world-class experts to learn new ways to think, plan, and act strategically. You’ll discover game-changing insights, tips, and techniques to turbocharge your performance and position you as a true difference-maker in your arena.

Publisher

Rich Horwath

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 May 2024

Latest episode

10 Feb 2026

Latest episodes

5 of 33 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   10 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Mastering Your Energy for Peak Performance

   Dr. Jim Loehr discusses energy management and mental toughness with Rich Horwath, explaining how individuals can perform at their best under pressure by understanding the science of resilience and recovery in this interview.

2. 

   27 Jan 2026

   Methods of Highly Effective Managers

   Ashley Herd, author and former Chief People Officer, discusses managerial effectiveness with Rich Horwath, introducing her Pause-Consider-Act framework to improve decision-making and engagement in this interview.

3. 

   13 Jan 2026

   Train Your Brain to Play Offense

   Train Your Brain to Play Offense Elite performance doesn’t come from motivation: it comes from training. Rich Horwath sits down with Dr. Jason Selk, one of the world’s leading performance coaches, to explore how mental toughness is built, practiced, and sustained under pressure. Drawing from Selk’s work with championship teams and senior executives, the conversation reframes performance as a discipline rooted in high standards, preparation, and self-image. From his Midwest upbringing to his early test with the St. Louis Cardinals, Selk shares how readiness, not reassurance, separates top performers. The discussion delivers practical tools leaders can apply immediately, including identity statements, process goals, visualization, and the power of starting each day on offense. The takeaway is clear: when the mind is trained intentionally, strategy and execution follow. 🔑 Key Quotes: “They say phase one of performance is you must have high standards.” “I’ll tell you what mental toughness is not. It’s not a pep talk.” “And I would tell you on a daily basis or at least three or four days a week, a person needs to be doing something called mental workouts and success logs.” “A person will not outperform nor will they underperform their self image for long.” “If I get my most important activity done early, my brain knows it’s on offense.” “The process mentality is the single most effective way for people to control results.” “If you’re not using visualization on a regular basis, in the business world or in the sports world, there’s no possible way you can be operating at your potential.” “Overloading channel capacity is the biggest mistake being made in business and in sport. And the magic numbers are 3 and 1. 3 and 1.” 🏆 Winsights: Sun Tzu the Chinese general and philosopher who had the writings which became the book The Art of War said being unconquerable lies within yourself. As you think about your business, your work, your occupation, are you allowing things to conquer you throughout the day: the small things, the little challenges and issues that pop up, or are you using mental toughness to overcome them? I’d encourage all of us to think about, at least for a few minutes each day, are we being the best versions of ourselves? Meaning, are we using mental toughness to overcome the negative, to overcome the challenges, to overcome the problems, and really focus on the solutions, the progress, and what’s going to take us to our goals? 🔗 Guest Links: Connect with Dr. Jason Selk: Website: https://www.jasonselk.com/ Instagram: @drjasonselk Jason Selk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jason-selk/ Books by Jason Selk: https://www.jasonselk.com/books 🚀 Resources from Rich Horwath, Host of Strategic Minds: 🌐 Strategic Thinking Institute Website👤 Rich Horwath on LinkedIn🎥 Rich Horwath on YouTube🐦 Rich Horwath on X📸 Rich Horwath on Instagram📘 STRATEGIC Book🧠 Strategic Fitness System📬 Free Strategic Thinker Newsletter🧪 Strategic Quotient (SQ) Assessment 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify

Inside a recent episode

Mastering Your Energy for Peak Performance

Published 10 Feb 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] I would just ask you one thing. If you go in, try to build it around the science of energy, because that's where it all is going to go eventually. So I said, okay, dad, I'll do my best. And so I really pushed the envelope on that dynamic. And now it's like, I can't think outside that envelope. […]

Who has been a guest on Strategic Minds

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Ashley Herd
• Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman
• Dr Nate Zinsser
• Dr Josh Clark
• Sarah Miller

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

14 ratings

Spotify

3.7 / 5

36 ratings

Contact Strategic Minds

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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