AQR International

12/10/2026

The Advanced Practitioner Programme takes a closer look at the applications of the Mental Toughness concept across some of the most popular areas of interest.

From wellbeing, leadership and teamworking to intrinsic motivation, trust, innovation and creativity, and coaching, the programme focuses on understanding Mental Toughness in context.

It also explores the eight individual factors in greater detail and, importantly, how they interrelate to create a unique picture for each person.

By focusing on nuance and complexity, the programme gives experienced practitioners the opportunity to take their existing Mental Toughness knowledge further and consider how the concept relates to different individuals, behaviours, skills and contexts.

Here’s what Lorna Lawless thought about the programme.

08/10/2026

The Mental Toughness Advanced Practitioner Programme is about developing a deeper understanding of the concept and its many applications.

The programme explores what the eight-factor concept brings to people and organisational development, with a particular focus on understanding nuance and complexity.

It looks at how the individual factors interrelate to create a unique picture for each person, as well as how Mental Toughness can be understood and applied in different contexts — from leadership and teamworking to wellbeing, coaching, motivation, trust, innovation and creativity.

For practitioners who have already completed Foundation-level Licensed User Training, it offers the opportunity to build on their existing knowledge and explore the concept in greater depth.

Here’s what Jo Taylor thought about her experience of the programme.

06/10/2026

What kind of culture is your leadership creating?

Organisational culture isn’t simply a set of values written on a wall. It is the organisation’s behavioural personality — how people respond when nobody is telling them what to do.

Leadership plays a fundamental role in shaping that culture. But creating an organisation where people can truly thrive requires more than strategy, processes and policies.

Our latest blog explores the relationship between leadership, culture and Mental Toughness, and how understanding the mental responses of individuals and teams can help create a culture that supports both performance and wellbeing.

How to Build an Organisation Where Everyone Thrives There are several reasons why culture has been overlooked in individual and organisational development. Firstly, many do not understand it well enough […]

05/10/2026

🚨 Last chance to book!

Our next MTQ Licensed User CPD Webinar is coming up on 7 October.

Hosted by Doug Strycharczyk and Professor Fiona Earle, Professor of Psychology at the University of Hull and Director of the Centre for Human Factors. An applied psychologist, Fiona has extensive experience exploring significant mental and physical workloads, complex task performance under non-optimal conditions, and control in demanding workplace environments, including the Fire Services and offshore wind farms.

Together, Doug and Fiona will explore what fatigue means, how it can affect individuals and performance, and how we might think about fatigue alongside mental toughness in practice. As always, we’ll wrap up with an interactive live Q&A to answer your specific questions.

🔹 Morning Session: 08:00 BST | https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1TTyFnYlQ_6Jxwql40QBnQ
🔹 Afternoon Session: 16:00 BST | https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ZXZnmcPcQDu8VW5C2PBH8g

Don't miss out — book your place now.

Note: This is a members-only session for licensed MTQ users.

01/10/2026

What if effective leadership isn’t about motivating people — but creating the conditions for them to motivate themselves?

Traditional approaches have often focused on extrinsic motivation: rewards, targets and consequences.

But intrinsic motivation takes a different approach — creating an environment where people experience autonomy, mastery, relatedness and purpose.

Our latest blog explores the relationship between leadership, motivation and Mental Toughness, and how leaders can move from telling and directing towards enabling and empowering.

Leadership is essentially about motiving others to give their discretionary effort, that is the extra effort they can bring to a task, and to give it willingly in such a […]

01/10/2026

🚨 Last few days to book!

Our next MTQ Licensed User CPD Webinar is coming up on 7 October.

Hosted by Doug Strycharczyk and Professor Fiona Earle, Professor of Psychology at the University of Hull and Director of the Centre for Human Factors. An applied psychologist, Fiona has extensive experience exploring significant mental and physical workloads, complex task performance under non-optimal conditions, and control in demanding workplace environments, including the Fire Services and offshore wind farms.

Together, Doug and Fiona will explore what fatigue means, how it can affect individuals and performance, and how we might think about fatigue alongside mental toughness in practice. As always, we’ll wrap up with an interactive live Q&A to answer your specific questions.

🔹 Morning Session: 08:00 BST | https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1TTyFnYlQ_6Jxwql40QBnQ
🔹 Afternoon Session: 16:00 BST | https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ZXZnmcPcQDu8VW5C2PBH8g

Don't miss out — book your place now.

Note: This is a members-only session for licensed MTQ users.

30/09/2026

Why do individuals, teams, and organisations behave the way they do? It’s one of the biggest questions in professional development—and we have the evidence-based answer.

The Mental Toughness concept and MTQPlus psychometric allow practitioners to understand human behaviour at a remarkably deep level. It’s not just a framework; it’s a catalyst for performance, well-being, agility, and curiosity.

Our community of global practitioners is expanding fast. Supported by our Master Practitioners, we are equipping leaders with the tools to make a tangible impact.

Join us on this mission. Let’s shape the future of development together.

29/09/2026

What does it mean to take your understanding of Mental Toughness beyond the foundation level?

The Advanced Practitioner Programme takes a closer look at the concept in context — exploring how Mental Toughness relates to individuals, interests, behaviours, skills and knowledge.

Part of this involves looking beyond the overall picture and understanding how the eight individual factors interact. This helps practitioners explore the nuance and complexity that makes each person's Mental Toughness profile unique.

The programme also considers applications across areas including wellbeing, leadership, teamworking, intrinsic motivation, trust, innovation and creativity, and coaching.

Here’s what Colinda van Dijk thought about the programme.

28/09/2026

Mental Toughness and the MTQPlus gather momentum in Southern Africa

AQR International's visit to South Africa to support its partner GP MindMaster's activities began with a presentation at Loftus Road in Pretoria, home of the Vodacom Bulls Rugby team and the venue for the Springboks v All Blacks game a few days later.

The audience included a wide range of practitioners, including life coaches, performance coaches, sports psychologists, L&D and HR professionals, as well as OD Specialists.

Representatives from the Department of Education were also present and asked a number of questions about student matters that are common to most jurisdictions around the world.

The discussion was lively and deeply inquisitive, with many questions exploring how the concept can be applied to optimise its impact on the development of leaders, athletes, and young people. The audience was particularly interested in the strong independent evidence base supporting the mental toughness concept. There is already good follow-up interest.

The mental toughness concept is possibly the most important advance in understanding why people, of all types, respond to events the way they do. If we understand that better, we can develop more effectively.

24/09/2026

What is your leadership style?

There’s no single approach to effective leadership.

How we lead can change depending on the people we’re leading, the complexity of the challenge, and the speed at which a response is needed.

But how aware are we of the leadership style we adopt — and the impact it can have on trust, psychological safety, engagement and performance?

Our latest blog explores Leadership Style, the six key style factors identified through research with the Institute of Leadership and Management, and how the ILM72 can help practitioners assess them.

What is Leadership Style – and how can I assess it? Leadership rests on three competencies (global factors) that help to optimise the relationship between a leader and their followers […]