What if exhaustion at the end of the day has nothing to do with how hard you worked — and everything to do with the state you were in while doing it? In this episode, Dr. James Bryant sits down with Deri Llewellyn-Davies, a former chemical engineer who spent decades studying peak performance in both extreme sport and the boardroom, to explore the science of flow state and why most leaders are unknowingly blocking their own ability to access it. You will walk away with a clear understanding of what flow state actually is, how to build the conditions that make it possible, and why the state you are in does not just affect your performance — it affects everyone around you.

Deri Llewellyn-Davies is a former chemical engineer who rose to European board level within a decade before transitioning into management consulting and board advisory work. Over the past 25 years he has advised hundreds of scale-up businesses and has sat on more than 330 boards. His work in ultra endurance sport — including climbing the world’s highest mountains and completing Ironman triathlons — led him to develop the Ultra States framework, which helps leaders deliberately design the performance states they operate in. His book Ultra States is available as a free download at ultra-states.com. He is most active on LinkedIn under Deri Llewellyn-Davies.

Dr. James Bryant is an executive coach, leadership strategist, and host of the Engineer Your Success podcast. His mission is to help professionals win at work and at home by developing the leadership skills and presence that technical training alone does not provide.