High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset

Leadership is often framed around qualities like authenticity, empathy, and vulnerability. Larry Coval believes effective leadership ultimately depends on something more practical: the skills and behaviors required to help other people succeed.
In this episode, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff speaks with Larry, a seasoned business executive, leadership strategist, and founder of Arcane Leadership Concepts. After nearly four decades leading people and organizations, Larry wrote the leadership manual he wishes he had received when he first became a supervisor at 23.
Larry explains why many leaders are unprepared for today's workplace, including the challenges created by hybrid teams, increasingly diverse workforces, and artificial intelligence. He also introduces the ARCANE model, a continuous process leaders can use to recognize their shortcomings, commit to meaningful change, and become more effective for the people they lead.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why leadership should be viewed as a set of learnable skills and behaviors

How the ARCANE model helps leaders identify and address performance gaps

What business leaders can learn from the way sports coaches observe and develop people

Why delegation should be used as a developmental tool

How leaders can approach performance improvement plans more effectively

Why AI represents a shift in the skills employees need rather than clear evidence of a widespread jobs collapse

How leaders can better support hybrid and diverse teams

Episode Resources & Links
Lary's Website:
https://arcaneleadership.com/
Mentally Strong Institute:
https://mentallystronginstitute.com/
Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call:
https://freementalbreakthroughcall.com/
Download the National Confidence Research Study:
https://confidencestudy.com/
Pre-order The Confidence Habit:
https://www.confidencetools.com/

What if confidence doesn't come before action, but because of it?
In this episode, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff challenges one of the biggest myths about confidence: that you need to feel ready before you take the next step. Whether you're considering a new opportunity, preparing for a difficult conversation, or pursuing a meaningful goal, waiting for doubt to disappear can keep you stuck.
Cindra shares a simple mindset shift: Decide. Act. Feel. Instead of waiting for confidence to arrive, take one small courageous action and allow confidence to grow from the evidence you create along the way.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why confident people still experience doubt and uncertainty

How the Decide. Act. Feel. approach can help you move forward
Why making your next courageous step smaller can reduce hesitation
How taking action gives your brain evidence that you can do hard things
A simple question to help you stop waiting and start moving
Power Phrase: "I don't have to feel ready. I just have to take the next step."

To watch the replay of The Confidence Summit, visit: theconfidencesummit.com(opens in new tab)
To download our full study report, visit: confidencestudy.com(opens in new tab)
To request a Free Breakthrough Call with a Mentally Strong Coach, visit: freementalbreakthroughcall.com(opens in new tab)
To learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute, visit: mentallystronginstitute.com(opens in new tab)
To learn about Dr. Cindra Kamphoff's speaking and coaching, visit: cindrakamphoff.com(opens in new tab)
To follow Dr. Cindra on Instagram, visit: @cindrakamphoff(opens in new tab)

In this episode of The High Performance Mindset, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff sits down with Gary John Bishop, New York Times bestselling author of Unfuk Yourself* and his newest book, Now What?: You, Your Life, and the Truth You've Been Avoiding, to explore what happens when you've done the work, gained the insight, and still find yourself stuck.
Gary challenges our constant drive to fix, improve, and understand ourselves. He explains how we can spend years gathering insight while continuing to live from the same stories, explanations, and internal dialogue. Real change begins when we recognize that our thoughts and feelings do not have to determine what we do next.
Throughout the conversation, Gary shares why being present means being "here for what's here," how the language we use can create the world we experience, and why responsibility gives us greater freedom and choice. He also explains how to stop treating your internal state as a compass and start exploring what becomes possible when you choose your actions differently.
Gary and Cindra discuss navigating setbacks, stepping outside the pressure to constantly become better, and creating a life based on who you choose to be. His simple question, "Now what?", creates space to move beyond old explanations and see possibilities that may have been hidden before.
This conversation is a powerful invitation to acknowledge the noise in your head, get present to the life in front of you, and recognize how much say you have in what comes next.
You'll Learn:
Why gaining more insight can sometimes keep you stuck

How the endless pursuit of self-improvement can limit what you believe is possible

What it means to be "here for what's here"

Why your thoughts and emotions do not have to determine your actions

How the language you use shapes the possibilities you can see

Why being stuck often involves repeating the same conversations and decisions

How taking unconditional responsibility can create greater freedom

What to do when your inner critic shows up

How to respond differently when facing setbacks, uncertainty, or pressure

Why asking "Now what?" can help you move beyond your past and create what comes next

Episode Resources & Links
Gary's Website:
https://garyjohnbishop.com/
Mentally Strong Institute:
https://mentallystronginstitute.com/
Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call:
https://freementalbreakthroughcall.com/
Download the National Confidence Research Study:
https://confidencestudy.com/
Pre-order The Confidence Habit:
https://www.confidencetools.com/

Episode Intro
In this episode of The High Performance Mindset, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff sits down with Kelly Ruta, private advisor to high-performing women, former clinical psychotherapist, and expert in emotional agility, to explore why emotional agility may be the missing skill behind sustained success. Drawing on more than 20 years as a psychotherapist and over a decade advising entrepreneurs, executives, and professional athletes, Kelly shares how psychological skills help people perform under pressure without sacrificing their well-being. Together, they discuss why confidence, resilience, and emotional regulation are no longer "soft skills," but essential skills for thriving in today's high-pressure world.
Episode Description
Pressure is inevitable. The question is whether you react automatically or respond intentionally. In this conversation, Kelly explains why emotional agility is one of the most powerful psychological skills we can develop. She breaks down how learning to recognize emotions, pause before reacting, and choose responses aligned with our values creates stronger leadership, greater confidence, and more consistent performance. Dr. Cindra and Kelly also discuss why emotions provide valuable information without needing to dictate our behavior.
The conversation explores what the research shows about psychological skills training, including why organizations that invest in mental readiness consistently outperform those that don't. Kelly shares why so many high achievers reach success only to discover they still feel overwhelmed or unfulfilled, and how developing emotional agility closes that hidden skill gap. Listeners will also learn practical tools, including the Sacred Pause, to build greater awareness and respond more effectively when the stakes are high.
Whether you're an athlete, leader, entrepreneur, coach, or parent, this episode is a reminder that confidence and high performance begin by learning to lead yourself first.
You'll Learn:
Why emotional agility is one of the most important psychological skills for sustained high performance.

What emotional agility is and how it differs from simply managing emotions.

How to recognize the difference between reacting automatically and responding intentionally.

Discover why emotions are valuable data but should not become your decision maker.

Learn how practicing the Sacred Pause helps improve emotional awareness and self-regulation.

Build greater confidence by aligning your responses with your values instead of your triggers.

Strengthen your ability to perform under pressure by developing psychological skills that reduce the likelihood of choking.

Understand what the research shows about why organizations and teams that invest in mental readiness see stronger long-term performance.

Episode Resources & Links
Guest Website:
kellyruta.com
Mentally Strong Institute:
https://mentallystronginstitute.com/
Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call:
https://freementalbreakthroughcall.com/
Download the National Confidence Research Study:
https://confidencestudy.com/
Pre-order The Confidence Habit:
https://www.confidencetools.com/

In this episode of The High Performance Mindset, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff sits down with Joe Paulsen, leadership coach, EOS Implementer, and creator of LEAD, to explore how leaders can retain their best employees and build high-performing teams. Joe has spent years helping organizations strengthen leadership, improve accountability, and create workplaces where top performers want to stay. Together, they discuss practical leadership habits that help people feel valued, challenged, and inspired to do their best work.
Episode Description
Great organizations don't keep their best people by accident. They do it through intentional leadership. In this conversation, Joe shares the four keys to retaining rock star employees: genuinely caring about people, leading with humility, addressing people issues instead of avoiding them, and consistently modeling the behaviors you expect from others. Dr. Cindra and Joe discuss why difficult conversations are one of the greatest responsibilities of leadership and how balancing truth with compassion creates trust instead of fear.
Joe also explains why accountability is often misunderstood. Rather than viewing accountability as punishment, he encourages leaders to see it as one of the greatest ways to show respect for their team. The discussion includes practical strategies like quarterly conversations, taking clarity breaks before difficult conversations, and using a Rockstar Retention Matrix to better understand where each team member needs support and development.
Whether you lead a business, coach a team, or manage a small group, this episode reminds us that the best leaders don't simply manage performance. They intentionally develop people.
You'll Learn:
Why genuinely caring about your people is the foundation of exceptional leadership.

What the four keys are to retaining your organization's rock star employees.

How to balance truth and compassion when having difficult conversations.

Discover why accountability strengthens trust instead of damaging relationships.

Learn how quarterly conversations help retain top performers and uncover future goals.

Build stronger leadership by modeling the behaviors you expect from your team.

Strengthen your confidence in giving feedback that helps employees grow.

Develop a practical Rockstar Retention Matrix to identify where your team members need coaching and support.

Episode Resources & Links
Joe's Website:
https://retainrockstars.com/
Mentally Strong Institute:
https://mentallystronginstitute.com/
Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call:
https://freementalbreakthroughcall.com/
Download the National Confidence Research Study:
https://confidencestudy.com/
Pre-order The Confidence Habit:
https://www.confidencetools.com/