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1-Page Summary of Clutch
Many Are Called, Few Are Chosen
The word “clutch” refers to the device in cars that transfers gears. However, it also has another meaning: someone who performs well under pressure and does their best when they have little time to make decisions with serious consequences. Most people choke or fail to rise to the occasion when placed in such a situation. It’s difficult for most people because they’re not used to performing well under pressure and do so only if they practice beforehand. Only a small percentage of people are clutch all the time, but even then, those individuals only perform well in certain circumstances.
Tiger Woods is the best clutch golfer of all time. He can make difficult shots at crucial times in tournaments with ease, just like he does during practice. However, his highly publicized scandals and poor choices in private life indicate that he doesn’t apply those decision-making skills to other areas of his life.
Clutch is not limited to sports. Some leaders of large financial institutions and politicians faced with crucial decisions during the economic meltdown made sound functional decisions but showed a grave absence of moral judgment. To understand what makes someone clutch, consider these three aspects:
“Focus”
Many people think that focus is the same as concentration. They’re not the same, however. Concentration is what you do moment to moment, but focus is about seeing how all of your actions fit into a larger picture and understanding each component in that bigger picture. It’s like trial lawyers have to maintain their attention on every aspect of their cases or athletes need to stay focused throughout an entire competition. Focus enables people to see the whole problem and understand each element individually, which helps them perform well when it matters most.
“Discipline”
Discipline is a battle against yourself. It’s hard to make clear-headed decisions when you’re in the moment, because it’s easy for things to get emotional and complicated. Most people don’t have discipline, so they unconsciously bring past experiences into their decision making and make wrong choices.
Financial market professionals must be disciplined in order to make good decisions. If they set a goal of a certain percentage for each trade, then they need to have the discipline to sell once they reach that target, no matter how much potential upside there is. They shouldn’t trust their intuition when under pressure; rather, they should rely on discipline and not continue with the trade if it’s already reached its predetermined profit margin. Discipline helps you build resilience because traders will face losing days but still keep going back into battle the next day. It means taking an objective look at your own strategies and having the courage to discard those that don’t work and embracing a new reality.
“Adapting”
During a battle in Iraq, US Army Sergeant Willie Copeland demonstrated how to adapt and change tactics as the situation changes. He didn’t stick to his original plan but changed his actions when he saw that it wasn’t working. This allowed him to save many lives and earn recognition for his bravery. Copeland’s performance showed us how we can “fight the fight” rather than “fight the plan”.
People love to plan, and in the clutch they fall back on what they planned earlier. They feel safe even if their plans are no longer useful. Copeland focused on outcomes – staying alive and protecting his comrades – and stayed flexible, reacting to the battle as it unfolded. He was wholly present; he didn’t think about what had worked in the past or get distracted by his emotions. Instead he focused outward – on the event itself – which helped him gain control over fear, excitement and confusion that could have paralyzed him.
