Key points:<p>Timothy Gallwey’s “Inner Game of Tennis” came out in 1974 and sparked a revolution in coaching and how athletes should approach improving their performance. Entrepreneurs can use several lessons to improve their personal performance and coach others.<p>The inner game is about self-mastery. And the path to self-mastery starts with humility because the humble are willing to observe and listen. As Wynton Marsalis observed: “the humble improve.” This is a tough challenge for any entrepreneur. You have to have the courage of your convictions in starting a new business, but you have to be alert to what you can learn by observing and listening to prospects, customers, partners, competitors, employees, and others.<p>The Usual Way of Learning:<p>+ Criticize or Judge Past Behavior<p>+ Tell Yourself to Change, Instructing with Word Commands Repeatedly<p>+ Try Hard; Make Yourself Do It Right<p>+ Critical Judgment about Results Leading to Repetition of Process<p>The Inner Came Way of Learning<p>+ Observe Existing Behavior<p>+ Ask Yourself to Change, Programming with Image and Feel. No commands are used.<p>+ Let it Happen!<p>+ Nonjudgmental, Calm Observation of the Results: Leading to Continuing Observation of Process until Behavior Is Automatic.