In this episode of On The Line, Alice sits down with high-performance coach Dean Leak, who has worked with Olympic athletes, C-suite executive teams and special forces. Together, they explore the lesser-known traits that underpin sustainable high performance: communication, belonging, clarity, and the ability to handle conflict well. 

Dean shares actionable tools for navigating high-pressure environments, creating space for disagreement, and building trust within teams. This isn’t about being louder or tougher, it’s about being more intentional. 

As Dean puts it: “High performance is ambition times clarity minus distraction.” 

Key topics covered: 

• The myth of the flawless high performer: “Even Rod Stewart said Glastonbury was the most nerve-wracking performance of his life.” 
• Why belonging drives performance: “We don’t often talk about oxytocin when we talk about high performance. But it’s belonging that lets people thrive under pressure.” 
• How to handle conflict with skill: “Every team is dysfunctional. The difference is whether you avoid conflict, escalate it or use it to refine better ideas.” 
• The three pillars of high-performing cultures: Trust, clarity, agency.

“People crave clarity. When there’s a lack of it, they fill the gap with stories, judgments, cynicism.” 

Tools for better conversations: 

• The two-minute mental warm-up 
• Using “tell me more” to open people up 
• Framing disagreement as healthy and necessary 

 “Before a difficult conversation, pause. Ask: What do I want the outcome to be? How do I want to show up?” 

Practical takeaways: 

• Pause before conflict. Prepare your mindset and define your goal. 
• Build trust through curiosity, not control. (“Tell me more.”) 
• Lead with belonging: make people feel seen and heard. 
• Don’t fear disagreement, frame it. “Would you mind if I challenged that perspective?” 
• Reflect regularly on team dynamics, not just deliverables.