ISU-Meridian’s Howard Gauthier writes book on how to execute success in sports, business and life

As a young college basketball coach nearly 30 years ago, Dr. Howard Gauthier thought long and hard about how team members can properly execute their skills and reduce turnovers.

“I wondered what are the skills, strategies and tactics teams or individuals use to execute their activities so they achieve success,” said Gauthier, an associate professor of athletic administration at Idaho State University-Meridian.

That question planted the seed for a book Gauthier has just published, titled Execute for Success: Eight Principles for Achieving Success in Business and Life. Drawing from his research and 30 years of coaching, teaching and administrative experience, Gauthier explores strategies designed to help people from all walks of life reduce their mistakes and improve performance.

The eight principles are outlined in the form of a model that presents the reader with stories and research from the sports and business worlds, psychology, medicine and politics. Throughout the book, readers learn why passion for an activity is important in executing for success, but why passion alone is not enough, explains Gauthier.

The book stresses the importance of determination and the need for establishing clear and challenging goals.  Readers are introduced to research from cognitive psychology that helps explain how people develop skills. 

Gauthier relates stories from the sports and music worlds to show the importance of deliberate practice and draws upon business experts to illustrate why discipline is so important when performing an activity.  He also cites research from America’s hospitals to help explain why eliminating distractions is critical for effective execution. 

Published Oct. 9 by Sports Leadership Publishing Co., the 164-page book is receiving high marks from national coaches and business leaders.

“Howard finds a way to reach anyone striving to advance in any aspect of their life.  Reading this book is a must for any team, individual or organization seeking success,” writes Bo Ryan, head men’s basketball coach at University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Jim Nieters, a senior director at Hewlett-Packard, writes, “In Execute for Success, Howard conveys with clarity and precision how anybody can become the best at what they do.  Though his model is simple, it is also profound, and I’m convinced that anybody who follows it diligently will more readily reach their full potential.”

Execute for Success is available on Amazon.com and Gauthier’s website www.execute4success.com.

Gauthier is also the author of Getting Hired in College Sports, a step-by-step process to assist students, sports managers, coaches and administrators in their job search. It’s currently being used in approximately 45 sports management programs across the country.

Gauthier is a former athletic director at California State University at Monterey Bay, Idaho State University, and Southwest Minnesota State University.  He has coached basketball at Southern Illinois University, Roanoke College, Whitworth University and Eastern Oregon University, and served on various Big Sky Conference and NCAA committees.

For more information, contact Gauthier at (208) 373-1753 or gauthowa@isu.edu.