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Simon Hartley | The Mindsets of Elite Athletes

Achieving peak performance is something athletes strive to attain and getting that peak performance to coalesce is the goal for coaches, managers, and trainers leading teams in pursuit of victory. As sports psychologist Simon Hartley says, getting elite athletes to perform up to their potential is more about the mind than it is the body.

In this conversation, Simon Hartley - author of “Master Mental Toughness” and “Stronger Together” - discusses the factors that lead to peak athletic performance, the habits and routines of world-class athletes, and how these lessons can be applied in a business setting that doesn’t involve sports. Simon goes on to talk about developing a winning culture, how to turn a dysfunctional culture around without firing leadership, and how to create an environment of pro social behavior where people sacrifice individual achievement for the good of the team. Simon closes the conversation by sharing advice and tips for selecting talent.

Simon Hartley is the CEO and founder of the Be World Class Group. He is a ten-time author, keynote speaker and co-host of The Podium Podcast and The Demon Charmers Podcast. Through his background in sport psychology, Simon has spent much of his career working with elite athletes and sports teams, helping them to get their mental game and their mindset right. Simon’s real passion is working with and studying the very best in the world, figuring out what makes them great, and then helping others adopt those principles.

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Meet Your Host, Don MacPherson

Don MacPherson is the founder, CEO, and Host of 12 Geniuses

Don MacPherson is host of 12 Geniuses - a podcast for curious and voracious learners. A six-time entrepreneur, Don spent 25 years researching the employee and customer experiences, the attributes of great leadership, and how healthy organizational cultures are created and sustained. Now, Don interviews geniuses from around the world about the trends shaping the way we live and work. From AI to biotechnology, aging to addiction, cybersecurity to privacy, and climate change to space travel, Don uses these insights to help business leaders better understand what these trends are, how they are positioned to disrupt companies and industries, and how new value can be created for those willing to make the necessary changes.

An avid traveler and volunteer, Don has visited every corner of the world and been a Big Brother mentor for more than 20 years. He is the former executive director Think2Perform Research Institute where he helped to create the organization’s Future Leaders Academy. Don is a board member of Leadership Garden, an organization that helps young people develop the life skills needed to make a positive difference in their community. In October 2024, Don co-founded Home at Home - an organization that enables seniors to age gracefully, safely, and vibrantly in the comfort of their own homes.