Hardiness

CHAPTER 10What We Can Learn from Hardiness in High-Stakes Performance Careers

Musical Artists and Sports

“Mastery is great, but even that is not enough. You have to be able to change course without a bead of sweat, or remorse.”

—Tom Peters (American writer on business practices)

There’s a certain amount of mental toughness that’s required in order to be successful as a high-stakes performer. There’s also a certain amount of hardiness. In this chapter we’ll focus on hardiness in performers from the sports and entertainment world. Not only do people in these careers have hundreds, or even millions of people watching and judging their performance, but most high-performance athletes and entertainers have had to compete against dozens of other talented people in their fields over the years in order to reach success.

What part do the hardiness factors play in their success or failure? We’ll explore the role of the three Cs of hardiness in these groups, looking at case examples and research studies. We’ll also examine some of the ways high performers manage their hardiness. There’s a lot we can learn about navigating the stresses in our lives from people who compete or perform in high-stakes and high-pressure situations on a regular basis.

Playing Out Hardiness as a Musical Director

Orin Isaacs is a musical director. You’ve probably never heard of him. But in his field, music production, he has done some amazing and well-recognized work. He has worked with artists that include ...