050-5273133

The Intro not printed

I remember how Itamar Rogovsky walked into the offices of the IDF’s Leadership Training Unit in August 1986.

He stood before us in shorts, flip-flops, and a shirt with two buttons undone. Itamar was one of the smartest people I’d ever met. At the time, I was starting my journey as an organizational psychologist in the unit, and Itamar—a pioneer of organizational consulting in the IDF and in Israel as a whole—came to lead a workshop on team development.

We all looked at him with curiosity, waiting for him to begin. “I want to start with a joke,” he said, smiling at us with a charming Argentine accent and a rolled “r.” This is how the joke went, in his words:
A man suffered from terrible headaches and went to a famous surgeon. The expert, a university professor, explained that removing his left testicle would solve the problem immediately. The patient, alarmed, left the clinic. After a week of unbearable migraines, he returned and begged for the surgery.

Two weeks after the operation, the migraines came back. He went back to the surgeon, who examined him thoroughly again. “To get rid of the pain for good, we need to remove your right testicle as well,” the surgeon said. Terrified of being left castrated, the man refused and fled home.
But the migraines wore him down. Within days, he crawled back to the renowned surgeon, pleading for the operation.
The second testicle was removed, and the headaches vanished completely. Feeling liberated and at ease, the man decided to treat himself to new clothes and went to a store. After picking out pants, a shirt, a jacket, shoes, socks, and undershirts, he asked the elderly shopkeeper for size 38 underwear.

“Sir, I have many years of experience,” the shopkeeper said, eyeing his groin. “Someone like you needs size 40, not 38.”
“All my life I’ve worn size 38, so why 40 now?” the customer replied. “You can take 38,” the old shopkeeper answered, “but it’ll press on your testicles, and you’ll get migraines.”
After the punchline, we were all rolling on the floor with laughter, unable to calm down. “I came here to guide you, but I’m not some famous expert,” Itamar told us. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m just an old underwear salesman with a lot of experience that can help you.” And indeed, the workshop with him was fascinating.

כיסוי כתבה

Since the mid-1980s, I’ve worked in the field with dozens of groups, hundreds of athletes, and countless organizations—small and large—in the business sector. I don’t see myself as a renowned expert either, but as an underwear salesman with 40 years of field experience.
Two books have influenced my professional career more than any other material I’ve read. The first, In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, examined management practices in leading American companies of the 1980s and found their success was based on eight key factors.

This book revolutionized future management literature, emphasizing soft aspects like culture and people. Its ideas inspired a wide audience and were highly practical for me.

The second book, Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis—Lessons from a Master, is ostensibly about tennis but is the finest document I’ve ever read on sports psychology. Written by Brad Gilbert, a former Olympic medalist and world number five tennis player, it offers unique tips for amateur and professional players alike.

Gilbert analyzed top players of the time, like Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, explaining how to beat better opponents without playing better than them. Written with clarity and wit, it’s like a classic combat manual for the tennis court, full of real stories from the sport and entirely practical, with no theory.

I loved both books for their practicality. The first provides countless examples of steps taken by the world’s leading companies, while the second offers a collection of moves by top tennis players in preparing for competitions or analyzing opponents. It’s all straight to the point.

In this book, I’ll try to describe my own experiences in the same way—no theories or techniques, just stories with real examples of what was done in the field with athletes, coaches, and managers. What can happen to athletes in training or competition, how they train to win, and how success is measured.

I’ll share what I learned from everyone I’ve worked with, how I helped athletes prepare for critical moments, and what could be done even in the heat of competition when the odds were against us. I’ll explain the role of a sports psychologist in the field—how they can support an athlete mentally and how crucial real-time improvisation can be.

Throughout my life, I’ve worn two hats,moving between sports and the business sector, where I worked as an organizational consultant. I discovered the similarities between these worlds.

I realized that the stories of my experiences with athletes and coaches can also inspire managers—offering a different, sometimes deeper perspective on management issues like leadership, mentorship, the connection between planning and execution, self-awareness, learning from mistakes, and, of course, the impact of emotions on performance. If you come with an open mind and read between the lines, you’ll find creative ideas you can apply as managers in your own organizations.

The advice I’ll give is based on my worldview—what I believe is right or wrong. In most cases, it has led to quality results and fascinating stories.

I’ve learned a lot, seen crazy things, and had extraordinary experiences with athletes. I’ve succeeded, been surprised, and sometimes fallen short.

The mental challenges I’ll reveal here will show you how complex an elite athlete’s career is. This isn’t sacred doctrine—no academic thesis or exact science here, just the insights of an old underwear salesman with a ton of experience.

Share 

Other Articles:

Accessibility Toolbar

בכך שאתה ממשיך לגלוש באתר, הנך מסכים לשימוש שהאתר עושה בעוגיות, על פי מדיניות הפרטיות ותנאי השימוש.

אישור