LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader."
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
AT CLOUD PEAK, WE BELIEVE
LEADERSHIP IS LEARNED
Seven years ago, I went searching for ways to help my athletes handle pressure, build confidence, and lead better.
I wanted to understand the "mental side" of performance ​— not to talk about it, but to help athletes play to their potential under pressure.
It seemed mindset was the key.
What I found instead is what I now call Mindset Madness.
I call it Madness because this mainstream mindset teaching spread like a virus.
It started showing up everywhere — in gyms, on social media, even in coaching certifications I respected.
And like most coaches trying to do right by their athletes, I believed it.
I used it.
I even taught it.
This new way of thinking began shaping how I coached, how I led, and even how I related to others — and not always for the better.
But that wasn't obvious at the time.​ ​
At first, this mindset training looked good.
Players seemed more positive. The energy felt lighter. Athletes said it was helpful.
But something wasn't adding up.
Like one of my college players heading into her final season.
Up to that point, she had been a bench player — skilled, motivated, arguably the hardest worker on her team, but with no game time to show for it.
She wanted to contribute on the court for her final season.
She put in the extra reps, extra workouts, and even hired me — her mindset coach —
to give her the extra edge.
I thought she was my best client yet.
She went back to college with a new sense of confidence.
I was sure she'd get her shot.
What happened?
She stayed on the bench. She didn't get the starting spot she'd worked so hard for.
That didn't sit right with me.
She had worked relentlessly.
Like every other Mindset Madness program, I had helped her feel better.
But I hadn't helped her get better.
And when I looked around, I saw the same thing happening everywhere.
Now days, everything has become a mindset problem.
A couple years ago, I would have agreed.
But now I see it differently.
Mindset Madness feels like progress, but what it doesn't play out that way.
Instead, it undermines the very things competitive athletes needed to succeed:
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It separates confidence from competence.
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It makes athletes feel supported while quietly dulling their edge — replacing grit with comfort, and hunger with hesitation.
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It disconnects them from the struggle that forges true strength
Mental toughness used to mean disciplined action.
That has now been replaced with mindset — a version of mental toughness, but centered on managing emotion, not on mastering performance.
When I finally saw what was happening, I had to face a hard truth:
Everything I thought I knew about mindset was not as it appeared.
So I tore it all down — and rebuilt.
Not from theory, but from reality. Tested through real results that came from traveling across the nation, learning from the best, and replacing what sounds good with what actually works.
MINDSET MADNESS→ MASTERY-MINDED LEADERSHIP
At the heart of Mindset Madness are two popular ideas:
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THINK differently so you can FEEL differently
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Separate who you are from what you do
It sounds healthy — even compassionate.
Thats where we get statements like:
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You're more than your performance.
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Don't be so hard on yourself — it's just a game.
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Well, you lost, but at least YOU played good.
The flip side, we hear:
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You just don't want it bad enough.
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You're too in your head.
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You're not serious enough.
Both sides are trying to help — one to soothe, the other to spark.
But they both share the same flaw:
They treat feelings as the main driver of performance.
And when feelings become the focus, standards slip and consistency disappears.
Neither work long-term because:
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Feelings are, at best, temporary.​
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Improvement is fragile until it becomes part of who you are.
This is where the "person-first, player-second" idea breaks down
It tries to build character by talking about character — instead of living it through disciplined action.
It protects emotion, but it erodes excellence.
It comforts, but doesn't create transformation.
Brett Ledbetter's book What Drives Winning is an example of this model.
It suggests that character comes before competence — a thoughtful approach.
But the greats show us the opposite order produces both: Competence builds character.
When you look Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, and Tom Brady, this is what you will see.
They didn't build greatness by managing emotion.
They built it by mastering execution.
Their effectiveness didn't come from feelings.
It came from standards — doing what was required, regardless of how they felt.
They didn't manage their mindset to perform.
They performed their way into mastery.
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They didn't separate who they were from how they performed.
They became who they were because of how they performed —
through discipline, struggle, and the relentless pursuit of mastery.
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That's the foundation of the Mastery-Minded Leadership approach.
At the heart of Mastery-Minded Leadership is a simple but powerful shift:
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THINK differently to DO BETTER
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Integrate who you are with what you do.
When identity and disciplined action are connected, emotions stop running the show.
They start serving the mission.
As James Clear puts it: ​
The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.
The Mastery-Minded athlete doesn't separate mind from body, or person from player.
They fuse them.
Every rep, every choice, every challenge — until discipline becomes identity and performance becomes purpose.
This isn't about feeling better.
It's about training leadership and developing potential.
— through disciplined habits, clear standards, and consistent execution.
THE SOLUTION: LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
The Leadership Academy is a month-to-month coaching program designed to help athletes rise from Mindset Madness into Mastery-Minded Leadership.
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It’s for athletes who care deeply and compete hard — but want to channel that intensity into consistency, composure, and impact.
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The Leadership Academy is built from years of coaching athletes in the heat of competition — discovering what actually produces growth and effectiveness when the game is on the line.
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We don’t just talk about mindset.
We train leadership — tested through disciplined thought, decisive action, and direct feedback rooted in real competition.​
THE EFFECTS OF MINDSET MADNESS
Mindset Madness teaches athletes to focus on how they feel instead of what they do.
It creates a false separation between person and player — and the result is always the same: lost potential.
Mindset Madness is everywhere.
You see it in the locker room.
You feel it in the huddle.
You watch it play out on the court.
Look closely at a team, and what you'll notice are three distinct types of players:
1. THE PASSED-OVER
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Hardworking. Loyal. Full of potential.
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Yet, are overlooked, unfairly benched, or stuck in a role they don't want.
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They do everything asked — but aren't yet trusted in big moments.
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They want to lead, but don't know how.
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These players are passed over for the position, playing time, or promotion they want.
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They care deeply, but their compliant, conflict-avoidant habits, lack of skill or assertiveness keeps them quiet and overlooked.
2. THE PAPER-TIGER
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Talented. Polished. In a key position — but fragile.
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They look confident, but it's thin.
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When pressure hits, they crack — or choke.
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They're hard on themselves and others.
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They look like leaders — until the lights come on.
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They care deeply and work hard, but they've yet to learn how to turn intensity into composure or consistency under stress.
3. THE PLAYMAKER
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The athlete every team needs and every coach dreams of.
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The difference-makers. Proven winners. Consistent performers.
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Grounded. Courageous. Focused.
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They raise the energy of a room.
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They compete with poise, own their performance, and bring out the best in others.
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They're not just skilled — they're steady.
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They're not just passionate — they're purposeful.
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They are Mastery-Minded leaders.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE THREE?
Not talent.
Not work ethic.
It's LEADERSHIP — how they THINK, SPEAK, and ACT when pressure hits.
It's their alignment with reality, discipline, and responsibility — the foundation for every Mastery-Minded athlete.
They're not built by mantras or motivation — they're forged through clarity, repetition, and results.
Not the feel-good, journal-about-it kind of mindset — but one trained through action, feedback, and accountability.
Because Mastery-Minded leaders don't THINK to FEEL BETTER.
They THINK to DO BETTER.
That is what we build in the Leadership Academy.
THE MASTERY-MINDED DIFFERENCE
In the Leadership Academy, athletes stop managing feelings and start mastering performance.
ATHLETES WILL LEARN TO GO FROM:
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​Avoiding mistakes → Learning, adjusting & improving fast
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Protecting emotions → Use any emotion for fuel and focus, not fear
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Seeking validation → Setting the standard
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Being hard on yourself → Playing free with precision
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Following directions → Delivering results
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Inconsistent "safe" play → Reliable execution - no matter the moment
WHY THIS WORKS
Unlike Mindset Madness, this isn't about feeling better.
It's about thinking clearly and acting courageously — the way Playmakers do when the game is on the line.
HOW IT WORKS
MONTHLY FORMAT
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​2 live group sessions (online or in-person)
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Optional additional 1-1 coaching
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Dispels Mindset Madness myths and replace with real leadership truths
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Built to fit alongside team practices or competition
WHO IT'S FOR
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Serious athletes ready to grow from minor contributor to massive PLAYMAKER
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Coaches building leaders at every level
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Parents wanting to support growth without rescuing or restricting
WHAT YOU'LL EXPERIENCE
MASTERY-MINDED APPROACH
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Mindset conversations linked directly to performance
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Honest feedback, no fluff
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Confidence built on competence
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Leadership that sharpens both athletic performance and personal effectiveness — because who you are should enhance how you play.
READY TO ELEVATE YOUR GAME?
If you've experienced how Mindset Madness disguises comfort as growth and leaves your potential untested — and you're ready to replace it with leadership that performs —
The Leadership Academy is your next step to break free and become a Mastery-Minded Leader.
THIS ISN'T THERAPY.
And it's not another "mindset" program.
It's leadership training — sharpening how you think, strengthening disciplined habits, and elevating how you influence and engage with those around you — your teammates, coaches, and your parents (or your athlete).​
​​You won't be coached to feel okay about average results, or pretend things are fine when they're not.
You'll be trained to pursue and produce results that reflect your skill, your effort and your potential.