Daniel McGinn
Daniel McGinn is a senior editor at Harvard Business Review and the author of Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed. His work in this interview centers on psychological research related to performance, pressure, and preparation.
This conversation is part of the Expert’s Academy interview series.
About the Conversation
The conversation explores pre-performance routines and why the last few minutes before a major moment can shape outcomes. McGinn discusses research suggesting that trying to calm nerves is not always helpful, and that channeling energy into the right state can be more effective.
He shares examples drawn from his reporting, including how West Point cadets build confidence and how performers and teams use small rituals to enter the right mindset. The discussion also covers preparation for public speaking, including the value and limits of “autopilot,” and why a ritual can sometimes outperform last-minute rehearsal.
The tone is grounded in examples and research rather than hype. The focus stays on how people reliably get into the state they need when the stakes are high.
Key Themes
- Pre-performance routines and rituals
- Anxiety, excitement, and energy management
- Mental preparation for public speaking
- Small behaviors that shape confidence
Highlighted Quote
“There’s no light switch you can turn on and off, it’s more like a stereo you’re trying to tune. You crank down your anxiety and crank up the confidence to get your energy level appropriate for what you’re doing.”
Selected Notes
- Why routines work across many performance settings
- Confidence-building examples from high-pressure environments
- Ritual vs rehearsal in the final minutes
- What preparation looks like right before speaking
Recording
Why It’s Included
This conversation is preserved for its clear, research-informed breakdown of mental preparation. It offers a practical way to think about pressure as something to tune, not eliminate.
