I used to believe that mental toughness was something people were either born with or weren’t. And for years, I thought I just didn’t have it. I was reactive, I let pressure get to me, and I struggled to follow through consistently. Then I came across David Goggins—and everything changed.
Goggins is famously one of the toughest men alive. A Navy SEAL, ultra-endurance athlete, and bestselling author, his entire life has become a case study in how to develop unbreakable mental resilience. But more importantly, his principles aren’t just for military elites or athletes. They’re tailor-made for leaders—especially CEOs.
Because leading a company isn’t about comfort. It’s about showing up when things are hard, when you don’t feel like it, when your back is against the wall. It’s about becoming the kind of leader people want to follow—because you have the strength to go first, and the grit to go further.
Here are the mental toughness habits that have helped me transform as a CEO—inspired by Goggins, tested in the trenches.
1. Look in the Mirror and Get Honest
Every morning, I ask myself one question: “Am I showing up at my best today?” I stand in front of the mirror and take a few seconds to answer honestly. Because when you’re alone with yourself, you can’t lie.
This is a practice Goggins calls the “accountability mirror” and it’s brutal in the best way. Leadership requires the courage to self-assess without ego. If you’re falling short, admit it. Call it out. And then do something about it.
Most CEOs fall into the trap of externalizing responsibility. But the highest-performing leaders I’ve coached always start with ownership. It’s not about blame. It’s about reclaiming power. That mirror is your checkpoint.
2. Do the Thing You Least Want to Do
Goggins says: “Do something that sucks every day.” And I couldn’t agree more. Your comfort zone is your cage. As a leader, your growth is directly tied to your willingness to lean into discomfort—public speaking, tough conversations, financial risks, hard feedback.
Personally, I keep a “discomfort list” in my journal. Every week, I write down one thing I’ve been avoiding—and then I schedule it. CEOs are decision-makers. If you’re chronically avoiding discomfort, you’re bottlenecking your company.
If you want to build mental toughness as a CEO, discomfort needs to become a compass. Whatever makes you squirm is where the growth is hiding.
Big visions are sexy. But mental toughness is forged in execution.
One of the things I learned from Goggins is that confidence comes from stacking wins. And you can’t stack wins if your goals are vague or too big to tackle. The solution? Get uncomfortably granular.
When I set a strategic goal for the quarter, I reverse-engineer it into weekly, even daily, targets. That level of discipline isn’t just for productivity. It’s a mental toughness tactic. Every small win becomes proof that you follow through.
Remember: overwhelm kills momentum. Simplicity fuels progress.
4. Visualize the Win—But Also the Grind
Most leaders know how to visualize success. But few take the time to mentally rehearse the pain it will take to get there.
Every morning, I spend five minutes visualizing the version of me that’s already accomplished the hard thing—closed the deal, resolved the conflict, scaled the business. But I also visualize the gritty work: the fifth investor rejection, the 6am workout, the tough boardroom decision.
This dual-visualization technique trains your mind to normalize both the outcome and the struggle. Goggins calls it “callusing the mind.” When you rehearse adversity, you’re not shocked by it—you’re ready.
5. Develop a “Take Souls” Mentality
This is classic Goggins—and it’s pure fire.
“Taking souls” doesn’t mean crushing people. It means outperforming expectations so dramatically that you shift the game. It means showing up with such relentless resilience that the opposition breaks before you do.
In the leadership arena, this looks like over-delivering when everyone else is scaling back. Holding the vision when others start to doubt. Outworking the excuses, not the competition.
I remember a time when our funding round was falling apart and half the team was panicking. I could feel the tension. But I showed up calmer, clearer, and more focused than ever. That energy was contagious. We turned it around.
Leadership is energy transfer. When you decide you can’t be broken, you teach your team that they don’t have to break either.
Final Thought: Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
I used to think the pressure I felt as a CEO was a problem. Now, I see it as training. Every tough day, every uncomfortable choice, every failure—it’s all mental reps.
Mental toughness is a choice you make daily. Not in the big moments, but in the smallest ones:
- Do I follow through on the thing I said I would do?
- Do I let discomfort dictate my actions?
- Do I stay focused, hydrated, present?
Goggins says: “Most people quit at 40% of their capacity.” Imagine what becomes possible when you keep going. When you choose to lead with mental resilience. When your team knows they’re following someone who’s done the work.
That’s what sets great CEOs apart.
Mamba mentality. Goggins grit. Your leadership legacy.
Let’s go.
