The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman: Summary and Notes

"You can't logic your way out of an unconscious problem."

Chapter 2The Origin of Alter Egos

Shep Gordon, the talent manager known as the Supermensch, told an audience that he taught every artist to create a character for the public and keep a distance between that character and themselves. People who praise you, he said, don't know you; they know that guy. Herman traces the term to the first-century BC Roman statesman Cicero, who wrote of a second self, a trusted friend.

Herman's own story starts on a 6,000 acre ranch in Alberta. At 14, he lost his temper at a volleyball tournament after an opponent kept kicking at him and was thrown out; his coach, Mr. Henderson, told him he was hard to coach. Fascinated by Native American culture on the land where Sitting Bull once sheltered, Herman began slipping Walter Payton and Ronnie Lott trading cards into his football uniform to channel their power. Years later, insecure about looking young in business, he watched a 1997 episode of Oprah in which a woman said a pair of Oprah's shoes changed her life. He bought a pair of glasses without a prescription and became Richard, his real first name, whenever he met prospective clients. He then noticed that athletes he coached described the same thing in their own words. Rowan Atkinson, the actor behind Mr. Bean, offers another example: he stuttered, yet the stutter receded in character.

"Just as I didn't invent alter egos, Cicero didn't either."

Chapter 3The Power of the Alter Ego Effect

Ian, a marketing professional and founder of a multi-million dollar e-commerce business, played tennis seriously and raged when he lost, because in his mind he was losing something larger than a match. Herman uses him to introduce the Field of Play Model. At the center is the core self, the home of intrinsic motivators such as self-mastery and love. Around it sit four layers: core drivers (what you deeply care about and identify with), beliefs (how you define yourself and the world), actions (how you show up) and the field of play (the context, people and expectations). Traits that help on one field of play, like kindness, can hurt on another.

Beyoncé, raised singing in church, created Sasha Fierce to protect who she really was on stage, then retired her after the 2008 album I Am... Sasha Fierce. Herman cites a University of Minnesota study of four and six-year-old children given a frustrating task: those pretending to be Batman or Dora the Explorer worked longest, followed by children who just pretended, then those who stayed in the first person. One four-year-old said, "Batman never gets frustrated." The model has two directions. Facing the ordinary world, a person becomes the trapped self; facing the extraordinary world, the heroic self. Herman cites research by Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson across almost 100 cultures and 150,000 people, and the psychologist Oliver James on David Bowie's personas. Joanne, who worked for British Airways in London, switched into "Giovanna" in meetings and later realized the alter ego was who she was. Kisma, who later founded a coaching and training company, had already used a version of the idea as a professional flutist: walking across the stage before a concerto solo, she would choose whom to channel, sometimes Yo-Yo Ma, other times Emmanuel Pahud, and drop straight into that mindset. Herman says nearly everyone he explains the concept to realizes they have done something similar without a name for it.

"Daniel Craig isn't James Bond, but James Bond is somewhere inside Daniel Craig."

Chapter 4Your Ordinary World

The ordinary world is where intention never turns into action: the accomplished author who could not sit down to write, the car enthusiast whose boxes of parts collected dust, the sales rep who reclined his car seat in a vacant lot instead of knocking on doors. Herman asks the reader to name what is frustrating about one area of life and to pick one field of play to build an alter ego for.

John, a Bronx-raised trading company owner in Houston whom Herman visited in 2011, wanted his business edge back, but after Herman interviewed 35 team members, John built his alter ego for home and modeled it on his best friend's dad. Marianne, who opened an auto repair shop with her husband in 1999, was frustrated that customers did not want to talk to her. Herman's diagnostic tool is the Five Bridges to Progress: stop, start, continue, less of and more of. For the ordinary world, the reader uses two of them, stop and less of, to define what is not working.

"If you want an effective alter ego, you need to focus on one field of play."

Chapter 5Finding Your Moments of Impact

Sean, hired to grow cloud computing in the New York financial market at a Fortune 50 company, wanted to be the top sales producer. Using target mapping, working backward from the goal, Herman and Sean found that lunch and learn presentations had produced his best results, yet he had held only one because he disliked the administrative work. They scheduled six over the next 90 days. By February he had hosted five, and he broke an all-time sales record in a month that is traditionally the slowest in tech.

A moment of impact is the point where the action layer meets the field of play: asking for the sale, taking the shot, making a speech, apologizing. These moments hold the most resistance and the greatest return, and they are where the enemy stands guard. Julia, who owns a web and creative agency in Phoenix, kept giving ground in client negotiations. The reader applies stop and less of again, this time to the action layer.

"Everyone, even the world's most elite athletes and most successful business people, struggle somewhere on their playing field."

Chapter 6The Hidden Forces of the Enemy

Rachel, a talented tennis player, built big leads and then let opponents come back. The answer surfaced over a BLT in Manhattan, when she insisted on fairness over who paid for lunch: fairness was a core value, and she was bringing it onto the court, letting up on opponents she was beating badly. Herman calls the source of this underperformance the enemy, what Carl Jung called the shadow and Joseph Campbell the dragons to be slain.

The enemy uses common forces such as uncontrolled emotion, doubt and worry about what others think; Karen, a CFO, stumbled through presentations despite knowing her material. It also uses three hidden forces. Imposter syndrome: Dave, a successful software founder, crept into meetings with VCs, and Herman notes that Maya Angelou said, "I have written 11 books, but each time I think, uh-oh, they're going to find out now." Personal trauma: Javier's coach's yelling triggered memories of a frightening father. Tribal narratives: beliefs absorbed from family or culture, which Misty Copeland defied to become the first African-American principal dancer at American Ballet Theater. Rachel kept her value of fairness, and her alter ego valued fierce competition and winning with honor.

"I found that most people have the skills and knowledge already available to them to transform their results."

Chapter 7Pulling the Enemy from the Shadows

Valeria Kuznetsova grew up near Kiev, teased by village boys, the meanest named Igor. Her father handed her a racket and told her to hit a ball against the garage a hundred times. Twelve years later she was a rising star, and at Flushing Meadows Herman watched her berate herself between points in a circular bullying conversation he calls the merry-go-round effect. When he explained it, she said "Igor" through gritted teeth. Together they shrank Igor to an annoying eight-year-old pest and pushed him to the sidelines.

An unnamed enemy is like the shark in Jaws, frightening because it is unseen. Herman suggests naming the enemy: make it small and silly (a puppy named Fluffy) or, for those who thrive on conflict, a worthy opponent. Some clients build the alter ego first and then name the enemy it would naturally defeat.

"Naming your enemy creates a compelling distinction between the two worlds living inside all of us, the ordinary and the extraordinary."

Chapter 8The Power of Your Story

After a talk at Fort Bragg, a colonel asked how the idea applied to soldiers, and Herman pointed to the strong stories the Army already gives its people about who they are. Citing Lisa Cron's Wired for Story, he argues that we think in story and that the stories we tell about ourselves drive our behavior.

Jimmy, an insurance sales rep and young father of three, heard a tape in his head on every call telling him nobody wanted to talk to him. Amy, a year and a half into her business, had told herself for 38 years that she was a non-finisher; when she saw she could write a new story, she said, "I could be different." Herman credits his mentor Harvey Dorfman with showing him indifference to others' opinions, and says the change only requires a willingness to suspend disbelief.

"There is perhaps no faster way to evoke a strong emotion than to tell or hear a compelling story."

Chapter 9Choosing Your Extraordinary World

At 21, Herman met Jim Rohn, who became his first mentor. Eighteen months later, struggling to grow his business, he heard Rohn say that if you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. The extraordinary world still has dragons, Herman writes; it is a choice to face them. He quotes Jim Carrey's 2014 commencement address on choosing a path out of fear, and Cary Grant on pretending to be someone until he became that person.

NFL running back Jay Ajayi, quiet off the field, becomes J-Train on it. Alanto, a Filipino-American entrepreneur, took the stage before 700 people as Big Wave, inspired by Dwayne Johnson's Maui in Moana. Ian, the tennis player from Chapter 3, admitted a long-buried goal of stand-up comedy. To define the extraordinary world, the reader uses the other three bridges, continue, more of and start, across results, actions and the beliefs and emotions that would make those actions feel natural.

"So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality."

Chapter 10The Power of a Mission

On a bench at the 26th Street Pier, Herman pushed Matt, a second-year NHL player stuck in the mediocre middle, to say what he really wanted. Matt finally said he wanted to bring the Stanley Cup back to his small Ohio hometown rink, and when Herman called it cliché, Matt's anger told them both they had found his fuel.

Herman cites Viktor Frankl on meaning, a 2013 study by Roy Baumeister and colleagues in the Journal of Positive Psychology, and a study by Stephen Cole of UCLA and Barbara Fredrickson of the University of North Carolina linking meaning to stronger immune systems. Heroes are driven by four core motivators, often blended: trauma (Batman), destiny (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), altruism (Wonder Woman) and self-expression. A Mexican-American businessman Herman met at a conference was mistaken for the gardener on his way to a client's home and vowed to get rich enough to turn the tables; over time his motivation grew into the inspiration he had become to his community. An Olympic client ranked 28th in the world finished fourth at the London Games in 2012. For readers who cannot find their why, Herman offers the 5 Whys technique from Toyota, plus self-distancing: asking why Jane wants something instead of why I do.

"When you begin to attach what you're trying to achieve to something larger than yourself, it delivers a deeper purpose to your mission."

Chapter 11Defining Your Superpowers and Crafting the Name

Lisa, a dressage rider, was so anxious before competitions that her horse, Ricky Bobby, picked up on it. Asked who represented total control and poise, she chose Wonder Woman, whose Amazon tribe rode to battle on horseback. Herman's own alter ego, Richard, used only three superpowers: confidence, decisiveness and being articulate. He advises choosing the traits needed in the moment of impact, often by flipping what holds you back, and settling on roughly five to ten.

Inspiration can come from superheroes, historical figures, literary characters, animals, machines or people in your own life. Joanne embodied the sailor Tracy Edwards, who in 1989 skippered the first all-female crew in a round-the-world race. Ted, from Honduras, became Catracho Spiro, a spearfishing guide diving among sharks for new business. Kobe Bryant chose the Black Mamba. Herman lists naming formulas, from titles ("Queen of the boardroom") to blends of two sources to a name plus an adjective, as with Sasha Fierce.

"The best alter ego is the one you have the deepest emotional connection with."

Chapter 12Breathing Life into Your Alter Ego

Tim, a small, gritty 11-year-old baseball player Herman coached for years, lost his confidence when opposing pitchers grew bigger than him. Herman sent him to research Paul Bunyan, the folk hero lumberjack, and Tim walked to the plate as Paul. A woman who wanted to cook but believed she lacked the gift dismissed the suggestion to bring Julia Child into her kitchen; about six weeks later Herman received a package with a note that read, "You were right."

Herman gives two ways to flesh out an alter ego: the observer technique, answering questions as you would see the alter ego showing up, and the immersion technique, stepping inside it. Layer one is how the alter ego shows up: actions, skills, behaviors, physical presence and dress, like Frank Sinatra's shorter sleeves or Mark Cuban's relaxed pose. Layer two is who it is: attitudes, beliefs, values, perceptions and expectations. Exercises include watching the character grow up, building it in a lab, and being stuck in an elevator with it. Oprah Winfrey, paraphrasing Maya Angelou, described calling on those who came before her.

"I come as one, I stand as 10,000."

Chapter 13The Heroic Origin Story

The opening of Pixar's Up makes viewers care about Carl because they know his story, and an alter ego works the same way. Mitch, moving from Wall Street into a new leadership role, built his alter ego on his Bubby, his grandmother, who survived World War II in Poland, arrived with $84, raised four successful children in a tiny Lower East Side apartment, and kept a ladle on the wall to keep them in line.

An origin story connects the alter ego to core drivers. A Nordic biathlete found his in family members who served as scouts during World War II. A client leaving 14 years in marketing for theater leaned on Batman's story, and Maggie, a single mom in London, saw her story in J.K. Rowling's, who heard no 12 times before a publisher said yes. A Cayman Islands client built an origin story for his sea turtle alter ego, Tortuga.

"Aligning with an existing story is one of the easiest paths and the one I usually recommend clients start with."

Chapter 14Activating Your Alter Ego with a Totem or Artifact

In 1940, before accepting the role of prime minister, Winston Churchill stood before his wall of hats and asked which self he should be that day. Martin Luther King Jr. wore glasses he did not need. Herman cites a Kellogg School of Management study in which a white coat raised attention only when it was worn and described as a doctor's coat; called a painter's coat, it had no effect. He also reports giving out over 30,000 "alter ego X pills," Tic Tacs with the label removed, as a totem.

A totem is something you wear, something you carry, or something connected to the field of play. Herman, who later learned he was dyslexic, had come to believe smart people wore glasses, which is why glasses became his. A baseball player from Iowa rolls a pebble from his farm in his pocket; Anthony wiped his face with a towel as if pulling on a panther mask. The rules: the totem must symbolize something to you, be usable on your field of play, and be easy to put on and take off as a reset; do not use it all the time, give it away or announce it; and honor the alter ego. Herman frames the process with the four stages of learning, from ignorance to mastery, after which the alter ego may no longer be needed, as Richard eventually was not.

"We live in a world filled with symbols, and the human mind has this fantastic capacity to create a sense of meaning from virtually anything."

Chapter 15Tests, Trials, and Delivering the Ground Punch

Every hero has a moment when the enemy is winning, like Rocky against Clubber Lang or the Hulk smashing the ground. Rachel texted Herman from a tournament in Asia: she had won, but it took 40 minutes longer than it should have. Herman gave her a ground punch, a prepared response for those moments.

The first is the curb kick, a short, blunt line to the named enemy; Rachel's enemy was Susie, and her line claimed the court as hers. A friend who named his enemy Beagle would simply say, "Beagle, I see what you're doing." The second is the response proclamation, an answer to the enemy's question, "Who do you think you are?" An Olympic alpine skier's version lists waking at 4:18 a.m. for 1123 straight days. Mark, worried his Amazon business could not adapt, built his from his own history: a police officer who became the top photocopier salesperson in Florida in eight months, then built a calling card business and an e-commerce business. The story showed he was great at evolving.

"It prevents our minds from getting entangled in our thoughts and instead gives us perspective and a path forward."

Chapter 16Mindsets, Missions, Quests, and Adventures

In 1955, photographer Robert Stein spent a day with Marilyn Monroe, who rode the New York subway unrecognized as Norma Jean and then, back on the street, asked, "Do you want to see her?" Herman sets three low-stakes quests: order and drink a coffee as your alter ego; play the number focus game for three minutes; and play a game with friends or family to test resilience. He recommends resets when the alter ego slips and a tribe of allies, from new communities to mentors. He has had at least 11 true mentors.

He closes with six mindsets to win: bring it on; I'm ready for anything; I'm a creative force; I love to play; I wonder what will happen; and I believe I can change. The last chapter returns to Joseph Campbell's hero's journey, which helped George Lucas rework Star Wars, and to the moment of crossing the threshold into the extraordinary world.

"Go be playful and collect the data."