The High Performance Zone

In this special episode of the High-Performance Zone, John reveals what life was like for a fighter jet pilot on the USS Enterprise during the filming of the original Top Gun movie. As well as describing a dramatic engine failure that happened after the famous flyby scene, he talks about the thrill of high-speed, low-altitude flying and the hair-raising sensation of landing on an aircraft carrier at night.

Dr. Bill Howatt is an expert in mental fitness and psychological safety in the workplace who specializes in helping employers create positive workplaces where employees feel included, valued, and fulfilled. He has over thirty years of experience in consulting and coaching, and he’s the author of over fifty books, including the soon-to-be-released No Regrets: How to Live Today for Tomorrow’s Emotional Well-Being.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Dr. Bill Howatt on;

• (00:10:02) Acts of kindness. We discuss the unexpected benefits of altruism, and Bill explains how being kind and helping others activates the release of the feel-good hormone oxytocin, which contributes to our overall sense of happiness and well-being.

• (00:35:40) Moving from languishing to flourishing. Bill describes how to build a more motivated mindset by training the brain to overcome its natural negativity bias. As well as practicing gratitude and focusing on the positive, he advises us to surround ourselves with people who light us up and make us feel energized.

• (00:42:06) Building mental fitness at work. He encourages everybody to believe in their potential and be compassionate towards themselves and others. In addition, Bill advises employers to provide their employees with a clear sense of purpose and to focus on making them feel valued, included, and safe. 

• (00:56:56) Self-acceptance. Bill shares a powerful personal statement that reminds him that he doesn’t have anything to prove and that he’s good enough just as he is.

• (01:07:37) The definition of empathy. We talk about the true meaning of empathy, and Bill defines it as the ability to understand and be curious about another person’s experience without judging them or feeling the need to impose our own opinions. 

Dr. Marc Mitchell is a kinesiologist who researches the subject of exercise as medicine. In his role as Assistant Professor at Western University, Ontario, Marc specializes in devising effective ways to encourage people to engage in physical activity. Despite his high-performing sporting past as a professional footballer in the CFL, Marc is more interested in everyday fitness and helping people build healthy, realistic, and sustainable exercise habits. Today, we dive into the psychology behind building routines and discuss the benefits of regular exercise.  

In this episode, you’ll hear from Marc Mitchell on:

• (00:09:03) The Caterpillar app. Marc talks about the app he and his team at Western University have recently been working on and describes how the program uses behavioral science to help people lose weight, live more active lifestyles, and create healthy habits that stick.

• (00:13:50) The superhero of exercise. Marc lists the many benefits of walking, including improving mood and preventing or alleviating chronic health conditions like diabetes and arthritis. He also touches on the mental health benefits of exercising outside.

• (00:23:03) The exercise prescription triangle. We learn about the importance of establishing an exercise routine, then gradually increasing its volume and intensity to meet the recommended guidelines of 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous activity.

• (00:28:34) Nudge theory and incentive-based rewards. We discuss the natural human tendency to prioritize present benefits over future gains, and Marc points to the advantages of promoting a more active lifestyle by offering positive reinforcements and emphasizing the immediate benefits of exercise, such as enhanced mood or better sleep

• (00:35:24) Cognitive gains. Marc refers to a study that shows that resistance training, such as lifting weights twice a week over a period of six to twelve months, can increase the size of the hippocampus and improve brain function in older adults. As an expert in human body movement, he recommends regular exercise for improved mental performance in people of all ages.

Stephen Drum is a retired Navy SEAL Master Chief and the co-creator of the Navy’s Warrior Toughness program. With 27 years of experience in training and developing highly skilled teams to perform at their best in life-threatening situations, Stephen knows a thing or two about thriving under pressure. Today, he’s an inspirational speaker, coach, and the author of the soon-to-be-released Life on the X; The Navy SEAL Guide to Meeting Any Challenge with Courage, Confidence, and Readiness.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Stephen Drum on:

• (00:09:48) Making the grade. Stephen talks about the qualities required to make it through the grueling BUD/S training and succeed as a Navy SEAL. As well as physical fitness, he emphasizes the importance of integrity and the ability to put the team’s interests ahead of your own.

• (00:34:22) Strengthening the mind, body, and spirit. We discuss the Warrior Toughness program that Stephen developed with the assistance of a clinical psychologist and a chaplain. Plus, he sets out the principles of his 4-part framework, which prepares sailors for combat missions and civilians for optimal performance.

•  (00:36:10) Personal mission statements. He points to the value of writing a personal mission statement to help you get clear on your priorities and define what you stand for. He also shares his professional mission statement and explains how it inspires him to get a little bit better every day.

• (00:45:36) Stoicism. Stephen extols the virtues of the Stoic philosophy and encourages listeners to stop seeing situations as either intrinsically good or bad. Instead, he advises them to look for the opportunities that exist in all situations.

• (00:50:49) Checking your thoughts. We talk about how to build healthy mental habits and prevent negative thoughts from hijacking your chances of happiness and success.

Emily Fletcher is the creator of the Ziva meditation technique and the author of Stress Less, Accomplish More: Meditation for Extraordinary Performance. As a former actress, Emily first turned to meditation as a way to cure her anxiety and insomnia when she was performing on Broadway. Later, she traveled to India to deepen her practice and learn more about the origins of meditation. Today, Emily is recognized as a meditation expert, and her powerful online and in-person courses have helped thousands of people relieve their stress, improve their performance, and uplevel their lives.

 In this episode, you’ll hear from Emily Fletcher on:

• (00:11:31) The 3Ms. Emily introduces the three key components of her Ziva method; mindfulness, meditation, and manifestation. Plus, she clarifies the core characteristics of each practice and explains how they work in unison to help heal stress, improve performance, and change lives.

• (00:20:24) Surrendering and simultaneity of consciousness. Emily explains that, unlike other forms of meditation that concentrate on clearing the mind of thoughts, her Ziva technique provides a structured time for practitioners to deeply relax and let their minds wander so they can face the day energized and refreshed.

• (00:30:33) Left brain, right brain: She refers to the differences between the logical, analytical left brain and the more creative, intuitive right brain. And as a seasoned meditator, Emily describes how she uses her daily practice to transcend the realm of logical thinking and give her right brain a powerful workout.

• (00:46:11) The power of mantras. We talk about the role that mantras play in healing and calming the nervous system, and Emily reveals why regular people with busy lives shouldn’t use monastic mantras.

• (00:55:29) Gratitude and abundance. Emily regards gratitude as a precursor to manifestation and recommends expressing sincere gratitude for what we already have. She also shares the ‘lucky’ affirmation, which she repeats every morning to invite even more joy and abundance into her life.

Chapter 6 - High Trust: The Key to Execution

The Blue Angels are one of the greatest living examples of how trust enables elite execution. Up in the sky, in tight formation, we’re holding the life of every teammate in the stick between our legs. In order to survive, we need to execute with precision and we have to trust–in our lives–that our teammates will do the same. 

• I believe that if you increase trust, execution will follow. 

• Trust gives us clarity of mind that allows us to focus our energy. 

• High trust contracts are the foundation for communication in high-performing teams. 

• The Three C’s Of Trust:
  • Competence
  • Commitment
  • Consistency

• Teams need trust in order to execute at the highest levels. Contracts are the point where trust meets action. 

• Strong communication builds a cadence where trust can flourish. 

• Every brief should leave a team with a set of verbal and nonverbal contracts, and commitments that set expectations and can be examined as a larger part of the process. 

For more information on the Fearless Success full audiobook go to www.johnfoleyinc.com/audiobook

Jess Stewart was raised on a cattle ranch in the Sierra Nevada mountains and trained as a teacher before setting up a medical billing business from the mobile home she shared with her husband and two young children. Over the next 15 years, Jess’s company grew exponentially, and, at the time of its sale, it had offices in California and Colorado and an international division with almost 150 employees. Today, Jess lives in Fort Worth, Texas, where she works as a business guide and uses her experience of running and scaling a business to help leadership teams put their plans into action and achieve their goals. 
 

In this episode, you’ll hear from Jess Stewart on:

• (00:19:28) True grit. Jess reflects on the lessons she learned from her father, an A-6 pilot in the Marine Corps, who taught her that failure was not an option and gave her the drive, determination, and courage to succeed.

• (00:23:25) Building healthy teams. When it comes to teams, Jess believes that the right people for the job are not necessarily the most qualified but rather those who possess the ability to work as part of a cohesive team and solve problems that translate into results.

• (00:37:55) Creating a 3-year plan. She sets out her strategy for working with businesses and describes how she helps leadership teams define their vision, set goals, and celebrate their successes.

• (00:43:21) Gaining a clear perspective. We share our stories of recovering our focus during periods of confusion and uncertainty. Plus, Jess emphasizes her commitment to not simply getting the job done but getting it done right!

• (00:58:51) Daily gratitude. Jess describes how her gratitude practice changed her life and shares the journaling exercise, which helped her become more present and appreciative of her relationships with her family and friends.

Chapter 8: Glad To Be Here Debrief - Secret Sauce

The Blues put extreme emphasis on preparation and focus - all of which come before the show. But the real power of the Blue Angels, and of any high-performance team, is the ability to learn and adapt quickly. There is a special tool available to every individual and team on the planet that will help achieve this goal. I call it the Glad To Be Here Debrief. 

As you listen to this chapter about the Glad To Be Here Debrief I encourage you to reflect and think about these  questions:

• What would starting the debrief process look like for you and your team and organization? Are all the things keeping you from the debrief today? 

• What are the reasons and benefits that make it worth it?

• What is one thing you can commit to in order to reach this?

For more information on the Fearless Success full audio book go to www.johnfoleyinc.com/audiobook

Simon Severino is the CEO of Strategy Sprints growth consultancy and the author of Strategy Sprints: 12 Ways to Accelerate Growth for an Agile Business. Simon believes in cultivating effective habits that help business owners double their revenue and make the best use of their time. He works with teams and solopreneurs around the world, and his proven Strategy Sprint Method enables entrepreneurs to scale their businesses and create more freedom and abundance in their lives.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Simon Severino on:

• (00:13:36) His daily flow. Simon sets out his approach to time management and explains how he carefully plans his day to achieve optimal productivity and stay in a state of creative flow.

• (00:19:00) His morning meditation. As a busy father and CEO, Simon stresses the importance of creating some dedicated ‘me’ time in the mornings, and he shares the beautiful mantra he recites on his morning runs. 

• (00:27:38) The big questions. He reveals the two reflective questions he encourages entrepreneurs to ask themselves at the end of each working day. Plus, he explains how the questions help create clarity, improve productivity, and accelerate growth.

• (00:38:36) The Strategy Sprint Method. We discuss how a Sprint Coach can help business owners simplify their businesses, concentrate on their zone of excellence, and build engaged and loyal client bases.

• (00:53:27) Visualizing infinite potential. Outside of work, Simon likes to nurture the spiritual side of his nature, and he describes how he tries to stay connected to his higher self and focus on the infinite potential of every person he meets.

Sneak Peek - Fearless Success Chapter Highlights:


Beliefs: Achieving Your Highest Potential
"Find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible." - Deepak Chopra

Believe in yourself and have a back-up plan.
Often the difference between success and failure is resilience. It's not what happens to you but how we react to it that really matters.

Let your dreams guide you
Dreams hit us in the heart, and not in the head.

Sometimes you just need to ask
To Leaders: Be generous. A small effort on your part can have a huge effect on someone else. 

Still dreaming of joining the blues
When you push the limits, the limits start to push back.

A second try
When you're flying in formation at 36 inches, complacency kills, not just you, but potentially your fellow pilots too. 

The Three P's
I was not afraid because I had an intense belief in three things. I call them the three P's; people, process, and purpose. 

Message from the Angels
Your belief has to resonate with both the heart and the head.

Getting From Belief To Reality
Excellence lies at the limits of our current beliefs. 

Limiting Beliefs
The key is to reset your goals before you actually achieve them. 

Liberating Beliefs
This is where passion comes from. Liberating beliefs are empowering and seek opportunity. 

As you begin to assess your beliefs, remember that this action does not exist in isolation. This is the first step in the Diamond Performance Framework, a cyclical process designed with continuous improvement in mind. With each cycle of the DPF, you reevaluate your beliefs, which puts you in a constant cycle of pushing the limits of what's achievable. And by doing this before you execute, you are elevating your actions. With elevated beliefs, you are ready to take the first steps toward elevated execution. This is a spiralling-up process that works in every aspect of life and all businesses.