Individual and Team Success: Mary Andrews’s Favorite Coaches

In her interview on yesterday’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, Mary Andrews described how she drew on her Olympic and other athletic experiences to form her understanding of how individual and team success works. Here, she supplements that background with details on the people who have also helped shape her coaching philosophies:

1. Marilyn King (www.waybeyondsports.com)

“Marilyn King is a fellow Olympian and colleague who is a master at knowing how the brain works in achieving your “Gold Standard.” She trained for the 1980 Olympic Trials in Women’s Pentathlon using only visual imagery to train for several months while recuperating from a car accident–and placed second at those Olympic trials.  Marilyn has spoke in front of the United Nations on two occasions about the power of Olympian Thinking in regards to obtaining peace in our lifetime.  As a training partner for over twenty years, Marilyn has helped me hone my skill to help my clients shift their mindset and achieve extraordinary results.”

2. David K. Reynolds, PhD, author of Constructive Living

“David K. Reynolds is the author of several books based on the principles of a unique Japanese philosophy called Morita Psychotherapy. I first read his book, Playing Ball on Running Water, in the 1980’s and was equally entertained and educated on the basic principle of “have your feelings and do what needs doing.” What this results in is a life based on action and being response-able to whatever shows up in life.

3. Robert Fritz (www.robertfritz.com)

“Robert Fritz, author of The Path of Least Resistance, teaches the importance of understanding the creative tension that exists between the vision of what you want and current reality.   I use this theory every day in my work with leaders who need to hold two different pictures (vision and current reality) through times of change.”

4. W. Richard Scott, Stanford University

“Dick Scott was the professor at Stanford who introduced me to the study of organizations. Under his mentorship, I developed a passion for analyzing performance at the individual, team and organizational levels. Knowing the influence of organizational structures, systems and policies on how work gets done is evident in the coaching I do with corporate teams and organizations who want to create an environment of success by design.”

5. Geary A. Rummler (www.rummlerbrache.com)

“Early in my career, I heard Geary speak and knew instantly that what he was talking about in organization and human performance was the career I wanted to pursue. His book, Improving Performance: How to Manage the White Space on the Organization Chart, served as my guide in working with companies on how to effectively change the way business gets done.”