Sneak Peek
On TIGNUM’s B-LD KITCHEN Hub, our world-class Performance Specialists share their latest insights on human performance and discuss real-life experiences and best practices with industry leaders.
Here is a limited selection for you to explore:
The Key Ingredients for Dynamic Culture Building with Sandy Ogg
In this conversation Sandy Ogg (Founder, CEO Works) shares his insights on the future of work as it relates to matching talent to value and the impact that Sustainable Human Performance makes on that talent.
Sandy Ogg, Founder, CEO Works
"Change hits, value shifts, money moves. We need to be continuously adapting to what's going on around us. This can be exhausting and mind-numbing if you don't have the habits of Sustainable High Performance."
Sandy Ogg has spent 30+ years working and learning with Fortune 500 executives around the world. His experience and success in Human Resources led him to develop Connecting Talent to Value™, a methodology that helps organizations bend the value curve by getting the right people in the right jobs.
When we first met Sandy as CHRO of Unilever, he had a simple and surprising request: to be able to play catch with his son into his 70s. In this conversation with Scott Peltin, he shares his insights on the future of work as it relates to matching talent to value and the impact that Sustainable Human Performance makes on that talent.....He also shares an update on his fastball.
ABOUT TIGNUM THOUGHTCAST
TIGNUM ThoughtCast is a series of short interviews in which TIGNUM co-founder Scott Peltin sits down with friends, clients, and human performance experts to explore the application of Sustainable Human Performance.
Harnessing the Collective: Community as a Catalyst for Change
Jeff Keith embarked on a remarkable journey with a profound mission: to combat human trafficking head-on. His path began with five years of dedicated research and establishing crucial partnerships with key stakeholders, including law enforcement, public service, ministry, and the military.
Project: The Guardian Group
B-LD KITCHEN Member: Jeff Keith
Jeff Keith embarked on a remarkable journey with a profound mission: to combat human trafficking head-on. His path began with five years of dedicated research and establishing crucial partnerships with key stakeholders, including law enforcement, public service, ministry, and the military.
He soon recognized a critical gap in the fight against trafficking. While these authorities were tasked with solving the issue, they often lacked the essential resources and specialized knowledge needed to do so effectively.
Human traffickers can target anyone, but certain groups are more vulnerable, such as young individuals with high ACE scores (a measure of neglect and abuse in childhood), those experiencing homelessness, foster care youths, and those involved in the juvenile justice system.
Among the most disproportionately affected are minority populations, specifically Black, Latino, and Native American girls from underrepresented and underserved communities. Shockingly, victims are often openly advertised online, with approximately 150,000 new online advertisements selling women and children for sex in the U.S. each day. Law enforcement agencies were stretched thin, lacking the time, resources, and skills to locate, rescue, and support these victims.
It was clear that a fresh and courageous approach was needed to make a meaningful impact.
Jeff Keith firmly believes in the strength of community. His innovative solution was to unite the power of the community with the expertise, diligence, and experience of intelligence and law enforcement agencies. This combination created a force multiplier approach, empowering authorities with vital insights, data, and expertise.
The Guardian Group recruits, vets, and trains a dedicated team of volunteers who actively search for online advertisements to gather leads and information about victims. They call this Project 1951, named after the U.S. statute code that makes child trafficking a federal offense.
The Guardian Group's pioneering approach was launched in 2022, and its impact has been extraordinary. In just the first quarter of 2023, it led to a remarkable 200% increase in victim identifications, a trend expected to grow exponentially by year-end.
They assemble the necessary evidence and insights, which are then carefully passed on to the relevant authorities. This collaborative effort makes law enforcement more effective in apprehending the perpetrators.
Now, having developed a groundbreaking model for combating human trafficking, Jeff faces the challenge of scaling up to help even more victims. His personal motto is: Until All Are Free.
Jeff knows this endeavor will demand incredible mental agility and unwavering determination. Expanding will require fresh inspiration, innovative ideas, and support from unexpected sources.
The project is rooted in the belief that diverse thinking is the key to overcoming this challenge. This is precisely why Jeff has joined TIGNUM’s B-LD KITCHEN. He recognizes that the diverse collective and inspirational dialogues within it will uniquely empower him and the Guardian Group to have a lasting impact on people's lives.
There are various ways to support this project, as an individual and an organization.
For more information, contact
Jeff directly at:
jeff@guardiangroup.org
You can learn more about
the Guardian Group:
https://guardiangroup.org
ABOUT TIGNUM’S B-LD KITCHEN
Ever wondered how top performers reach success? It’s not luck; it’s their boldness and constant readiness to face challenges in a complex, uncertain, and volatile world.
We get it—nowadays it’s tough to stay on top of things without the right energy or tools. That’s why our TIGNUM experts have created the B-LD KITCHEN. Packed with constant inspiration, ongoing conversations, and expert-designed human performance tools and strategies, we aim to significantly impact your work and life, no matter the challenges.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact.
Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
You are unique and so is your Sustainable Human Performance
In many ways, our individuality is both in and out of our control. By being curious about what works and doesn't work for you and taking ownership of your bio-individuality, you can positively impact your Personal Readiness.
Have you ever felt you were odd because what works for someone else doesn’t work for you? Whether it’s a nutritional strategy, an exercise regime, tips on leadership style, or managing your team, what works for one person often doesn't work for others.
We see people get super fit with one type of workout routine and falsely believe that if it worked for them, it must be good for everyone. Similarly, this same thing happens with personal growth, leadership, and so many other things. The problem is, we are all unique, and one size never fits all. Propagating this misconception even more, when we collect data on a group, the myth is that the average describes everyone in that group. As Harvard professor Todd Ross describes in his book The End of Average, not one person actually fits the average.
Many factors influence our individuality. First, we have our genetic makeup (our DNA coding) and our epigenetic factors (which genes are turned on). And then there are all of the things that impact our billions of experiences that make up our life (culture, family, society, social media, education, etc.).
In many ways, our individuality is both in and out of our control.
Performing at your best is about knowing your individual needs
Recently, I (Laura) was working with a female tennis player who was experiencing repeated low-grade injuries that were taking much longer to return to play than expected to heal. Her mood was constantly up and down, she found it difficult to make decisions in key moments, and she would report times of low energy, diminished motivation, and a sense of ‘brain fog’.
On the surface, the player appeared to be doing all the right things regarding her training and recovery balance. She appeared to be eating all the right foods and was naturally frustrated with the constant injuries stopping her from playing.
The performance team was perplexed, but through an insatiable curiosity, we kept trying to figure out why this was happening. What could be hindering recovery and causing all of these nagging injuries?
After turning over every stone, we noticed the player only having episodic menstrual cycles, which made us look at her hormone profile. Interestingly, two key hormones, estrogen and progesterone, were not at the levels they should be. Again we asked, "Why?" Knowing that what an athlete eats can influence their hormone profile, we assessed her energy expenditure and energy consumption. The findings were fascinating – she was at a 1,000-calorie deficit both during her training and competition days. In sports, this is known as Relative Energy Deficiency (RED-S). After addressing her energy balance through increasing how much and how often she ate, she started to feel more energized. As her hormone profile normalized, her mood, cognitive ability, motivation, and injury status all improved over time. Finally, she was experiencing the performance she deserved.
For us, there were many learnings. It took a lot of digging to understand her individual issues and needs, but, once again, we were reminded about just how different we all are. This experience reminded us of how crucial the sex hormones, male and female, are to our performance, both physically and cognitively. Interestingly, “normal” hormones levels can differ from person to person and differ within daily and monthly cycles.
Sex hormones are an aspect of human performance that is often overlooked, especially in the corporate world. Estrogen promotes the growth and repair of our neurons. Progesterone is involved in calming the nervous system and promoting deep sleep phases. Testosterone is key for motivation and energy, as well as bone health and muscle repair. Sometimes, when you are doing everything right (according to what is working for others), but you aren't feeling the energy and performance you want, it may be time to go deeper.
Take ownership of your performance by being curious
Is there a perfect audit to discover your own unique bio-individuality? Probably not, but increasing your awareness and asking more questions is a great way to help understand your own physiology. Looking at your performance from all angles can require experts from many different fields, but ultimately, what feels right to you is critical.
At TIGNUM, we are embarking on a journey to better understand the impact of sex hormones on the brain and physiology. Our experience shows the huge impact they have on our personal readiness, and ultimately, on our Sustainable Human Performance.
If you are feeling below optimal in any area of your performance, these questions can help initiate an individuality audit:
Is this my normal?
Are there patterns (daily, weekly, monthly, annual) to how I feel?
Why is this happening?
Where can I seek more information that will help me understand this?
By being curious about what works and doesn't work for you and taking ownership of your bio-individuality, you can positively impact your personal readiness.
So, is our individuality in our control? Yes, it is. Our habits play a big role in how that is expressed. Taking ownership is key if we are to fully step into our potential. Our hormones are a prime example of this. Over the coming months, we will continue to explore how our habits influence hormones in relation to our human performance. Stay tuned.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laura Penhaul // Chief Innovation Officer
As TIGNUM’s Chief Innovation Officer, Laura explores the latest science and innovation to support the performance of our clients. As a double world record holder from leading a team to row across the Pacific Ocean, combined with 15 years experience working in Olympic and Paralympic sports as a Physiotherapist, Laura is passionate about supporting teams and individuals to achieve their personal best.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact. Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
Fundamental Force: How Core Principles Propelled a Record-BREAKING Global Cycle
Laura Penhaul (Performance Innovation Officer at TIGNUM) was Mark Beaumont's performance manager when he set out to pedal the globe in less than 80 days. It wasn't just a triumph of endurance; it was a masterclass in prioritizing fundamental gains over marginal ones.
Project: Cycle Around the World in Under 80 Days
B-LD KITCHEN Founding Member: Laura Penhaul
Laura was the performance manager for Mark Beaumont when he set out to pedal the globe in less than 80 days. It wasn't just a triumph of endurance; it was a masterclass in prioritizing fundamental gains over marginal ones.
Observers and spectators of any sporting or endurance endeavor are often captivated by the minutiae — the sleek aerodynamics of a helmet, the skin-tight efficiency of a racing suit, or the power-to-weight ratios that speak to an athlete's sheer force. Yet, for Laura and Mark, success hinged on the sport's core tenets, tailored to his unique capabilities and the calculated risks involved.
To circumnavigate the globe, the core principles were clear-cut:
Maintain 15mph for 16 hours each day, no matter what.
It had to be done in 80 days, with a mere 3 days reserved for flights and an allowance of 4-6 hours of sleep nightly.
Endure temperature fluctuations from a balmy 28°C to a chilling 2°C, all while keeping a steady output of 190 watts per hour.
He would need to climb 149,871 meters (equivalent to climbing Everest 17 times).
In order to achieve this, Laura created a strategy based on four fundamentals:
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Choosing sustainable comfort over ephemeral speed was crucial. It meant favoring a higher posture over an aggressive, low aero position that could cut each day short through pain and power loss.
It's about the right gear for the conditions, ensuring that saddle sores or wrist strains don't derail the journey. This is more than just avoiding the immediate aches. It's the safeguard against tendon wear and the cognitive decline that comes from fatigue.
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Every element demanded uniformity, from training to power output to routine adherence. Wasting five minutes post-break could culminate in losing a whole day over the long haul — unacceptable when chasing a sub-80-day record.
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Skincare, oral care, clean apparel, meticulous food preparation — they weren't just routines; they were non-negotiables.
With illness posing a significant threat to the mission, hygiene standards were paramount for the entire team.
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The right nutrition at the right time wasn't just about energy; it was about maintaining the necessary power to keep the wheels turning.
It encompassed everything from macro and micro-nutrient distribution to gut health and the psychological well-being that comes from satisfying meals.
Mark and Laura's story isn't just one of physical prowess; it's a testament to a holistic approach where big-picture thinking trumps the allure of marginal gains. It's about the wisdom of working with what you have and recognizing that the strength to push through doesn't start with a single pedal stroke — it begins with a mindset geared toward the foundational elements that drive success in the face of global ambition.
What are the fundamentals for your own projects? Are you focusing on your fundamentals or the marginal gains of so-called performance culture behaviors?
It is an interesting topic we have been exploring through our B-LD KITCHEN conversations.
ABOUT TIGNUM’S B-LD KITCHEN
Ever wondered how top performers reach success? It’s not luck; it’s their boldness and constant readiness to face challenges in a complex, uncertain, and volatile world.
We get it—nowadays it’s tough to stay on top of things without the right energy or tools. That’s why our TIGNUM experts have created the B-LD KITCHEN. Packed with constant inspiration, ongoing conversations, and expert-designed human performance tools and strategies, we aim to significantly impact your work and life, no matter the challenges.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact.
Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
The benefits of learning new skills
Learning something new has significant benefits for your brain and personal recovery. Be curious, embrace any fears, and see the impact on your performance and those around you.
I was coaching a VP the other day, just after her return from the holidays and the start of the new year. She shared some goals and intentions she wanted to achieve in the coming year. As she shared, one common theme kept reoccurring: learning. Her goals were centered around growth, change, leading, and solutions. To be great at those, one has to be curious and willing to learn.
A common trait we see in Sustainable Human Performance is a strong desire for self-improvement. Often this looks like a commitment to mastering a craft or profession; sometimes, it’s simply a desire to stretch yourself and learn something completely new, even if it’s just for fun.
Learning new things as we age has clear performance benefits for our brain and personal recovery. Learning stimulates your brain, building new neural connections to help prevent cognitive decline. Learning can also help spark your curiosity and motivation and help you take yourself less seriously as you lean into a growth mindset.
Being in learning mode refreshes your brain
At TIGNUM, learning is a fun form of recovery for a brain becoming cognitively fatigued from your normal day-to-day work. By learning new things, we can alter our brain wave states, providing just enough task-switching for our brain to recharge and be ready to return to work.
Science has shown that the brain primarily engages in two types of learning — explicit and implicit. Both these states are associated with specific brain wave frequencies. ‘Explicit learning' is when your concentration is high, and you’re deliberately focused, like memorizing a speech or learning how to play a complex game such as chess. This state often results in Beta brain wave activity, which is fast and active.
‘Implicit learning’ is the opposite, inducing lower brain wave frequencies called Alpha and Theta states. It’s the kind of learning you aren’t necessarily consciously aware of, like learning to dance, trying new sports, or even meditating.
Learning something that engages a brain wave state different from your usual occupation can provide a uniquely refreshing source of recovery. For example, if your day is full of back-to-back meetings, fast processing, fire drills, and multi-tasking, shifting gears to learn something that requires creativity and imagination could be greatly rewarding.
Reap the benefits of learning by embracing the process
This down-shift can be a challenge for some high performers that are often addicted to the rush of achievement. Over the years, I’ve had many coaching conversations with leaders that admit that they often feel uneasy, maybe even guilty, when they aren’t pushing for more. Yet, when they can overcome these feelings, allowing themselves to become absorbed into learning something new, they often report feeling more balanced, more satisfied, and even more self-confident as they embrace mistakes and gradually see improvements in their chosen task. Ultimately, the joy of engaging fully in learning for pleasure or simple novelty became the reward.
As 2024 is ramping up to full speed, you’ve probably established your work KPIs, your personal goals, and perhaps even when and where you’ll go on vacation. My encouragement is to think about what new things you’d like to learn by the end of this year and to go about learning them with a child-like curiosity, no fear of failure, and completely free of judgment.
Your brain and the sustainability of your performance will be better off for it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Males // Managing Director, Americas and APAC
As TIGNUM's Managing Director of the Americas and APAC, Chris is an experienced Sustainable Human Performance coach to many CEO’s, C-suite executives, and professional athletes. In 2020, Chris was inducted into the MG100 Coaches program, an organization of some the best executive coaches, leaders and business thinkers from around the world.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact. Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
Redefining What it Means to be Human
Discover Deb Bubb's journey from HR leader to founder of The Institute for Moral Imagination, where she uses creativity and neuroscience to enhance professional and personal growth.
Project: The Institute for Moral Imagination
B-LD KITCHEN Founding Member: Deb Bubb
Deb is a trailblazer in the human resources realm, celebrated for infusing genuine humanity back into the corporate world. Respected for her deep experience in leadership development and talent management within the tech industry, she's held influential positions at UnitedHealth Group, Optum, IBM, and Intel—steering the course of leadership, diversity, talent management, and organizational vitality.
Deb's approach is unique. Throughout her career, she's turned to the fascinating insights of neuroscience and evolutionary biology to deepen our understanding of what it truly means to be human – and how that humanity plays a critical role in our professional performance. She's dedicated to the premise that art and creative self-expression are fundamental to our human experience, shaping our understanding of the world and ourselves.
This insight led her to a profound question: How might we leverage our innate creativity to envision and build the future we aspire to?
So, Deb founded The Institute for Moral Imagination. Centered on the idea that every life is a creative act, the Institute is dedicated to nurturing the artist within us and deepening our moral clarity, imagination, and courage to create a world where we can all flourish. The Institute is a generative resource to build a world where our workplaces, communities, and day-to-day lives are a canvas for creative and moral thought—a future shaped by a collective humanity.
“We're being saturated today with messages and experiences that come out of an echo chamber and keep us in a narrower and narrower slice of our brain. Art and creativity invite us to experience and use all of our brains, many different ways that our brains are designed, to sense and experience the world.”
Deb Bubb, B-LD KITCHEN Founding Member and
Co-Founder of the Institute for Moral Imagination
CEO of the kyu collective, Michael Birkin, co-founder of SYPartners, Keith Yamashita, and Deb are undertaking a powerful initiative cut from the same cloth.
The movement is called “20 Summers” and asks: If you had 20 good summers left, how would you live your life? The effort has two major offerings:
1) A group-based, in-person set of experiences where we work with people in “cohorts” to plan for and flourish throughout their next twenty years and
2) An online and digital platform designed to serve millions with tools, experiences, and learning solutions to facilitate their growth and development into elderhood
Through 20 Summers, the team hopes to:
- Help people explore, reckon, and contend with the life they have built so far—taking the best elements of their life and building a new collage
- Forge new mindsets and beliefs that will sustain people through their elderhood—this often means reshaping one’s identity, self-image, self- esteem, and relationships within groups
- Help people define their purpose, direction, and approach
- Unleash people to experiment, practice, and build new rituals to create this preferred future and life
Deb is embracing a new chapter, moving beyond the corporate sphere to wholeheartedly devote herself to The Institute for Moral Imagination and 20 Summers. Her journey and this significant transition were the focal points of her B-LD KITCHEN Roundtable session, which marked the first time she spoke openly about her shift in focus.
The exchange she had with other members wasn’t just informative—it was a galvanizing experience that reinforced her conviction in the Institute’s mission. This kind of exchange is precisely what the B-LD KITCHEN aims to foster: an environment where dialogue ignites innovation and emboldens the kind of thinking that leads to breakthroughs.
“We can only answer questions we have the courage to ask.”
Keith Yamashita, co-founder of 20 Summers
ABOUT TIGNUM’S B-LD KITCHEN
Ever wondered how top performers reach success? It’s not luck; it’s their boldness and constant readiness to face challenges in a complex, uncertain, and volatile world.
We get it—nowadays it’s tough to stay on top of things without the right energy or tools. That’s why our TIGNUM experts have created the B-LD KITCHEN. Packed with constant inspiration, ongoing conversations, and expert-designed human performance tools and strategies, we aim to significantly impact your work and life, no matter the challenges.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact.
Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
Designing the perfect vacation
It's that vacation time of the year again, but this year feels different. The accumulation of fatigue is a little higher, the world is a little more unstable, and the future looks a little scarier. For these reasons and more, this vacation may be one of your most important.
It's that vacation time of the year again, but this year feels different. The accumulation of fatigue is a little higher, the world is a little more unstable, and the future looks a little scarier. For these reasons and more, this vacation may be one of your most important. So are you leaving it to chance, or are you approaching it with the level of intention, purposefulness, and creativity that it really needs?
Many of you will plan the length of your vacation, the location (the "Where"), and maybe even the things to do (the "What") on your vacation. But too often, many forget the “Why" of vacation. It sounds simple, but it happens all the time.
Intentionally design your vacation to meet your needs
Executives often ask us, "How long does a vacation need to be to recharge?" That depends on how you transition from work to vacation, whether you really recharge, and how you show up to your vacation. When recharging is your top priority, and you plan all your vacation events to align with that, you could physically recharge in as little as five days and emotionally recharge in as few as three days. Unfortunately, what happens too often is a person takes a week-long vacation, thinks their priority is physically recharging, then turns it into a fitness camp, exercising at a high intensity five days in a row. They return from vacation feeling sore, exhausted, and definitely not restored. Why did this happen? There was a disconnect between their actions and the "Why" of recharging. They acted as if the “Why" was to do a cram session sort of boot camp approach to try and get physically fit. We’re not saying exercising is a bad thing, but we are saying that if your "Why" is recharging, the way you exercise may be completely different.
Clarity about being on or off can make all the difference
Similarly, many executives don’t properly transition into and out of their vacation. Without these transitions, they bring their work self on vacation, and the brain thinks it is supposed to be fully on and problem-solving. When this happens, it can take 3-5 days just to get into vacation mode. Then, on the return from vacation, the same thing can happen where their vacation self shows up at work unprepared to engage. In this condition, they can be easily overwhelmed, and the vacation is quickly forgotten.
You can avoid this very common self-image trap by creating a transition where you first ask yourself (both coming in and coming off vacation), “Who do I need to be to maximize my effectiveness?” Also, spend a little time visualizing yourself as that person so your brain can believe that you can make it happen.
One common question that comes up in our coaching is whether to work or not work during vacation. The truth is: it really depends. If you would feel better checking in and dealing with any potentially critical items, you may want to adapt the 60-minute work sprint in the morning during vacation (followed by 23 hours of being fully off). If, on the other hand, you can’t turn your mind off once it gets turned on, it may be better to fully delegate your responsibilities and perform a thorough handoff at least one day before leaving. Then, you can remain fully off throughout your vacation. Both of these situations can work, but they must be designed. If you leave it to chance, you are leaving the door open for work creep and potentially creating a huge source of conflict with your family.
How to maximize the benefit of your time off
As you plan your vacations, here are a few questions to help you get what you want and need:
_Why am I taking this vacation? (Is it, for example, to recharge my batteries, reconnect with friends and or family, change the scenery, have fun, go somewhere I have never been, cross something off my bucket list, get back in shape, work on my golf game, finish my manuscript?)
_What does success look like on this vacation and when I return from vacation? Think about emotional connections, stimulation, regeneration, etc. Based on this, you may want to go through your TIGNUM intention setting questions for both your vacation and your return from vacation. How do I want to be perceived? What do I want those I'm with to know? How do I want them to feel?
_When I return from my vacation, how do I want to feel (e.g., relaxed, energized, pain-free, inspired, focused, passionate, creative, in love, reconnected to my family)?
_What do I need to do on this vacation to make this vision of success a reality?
If you approach your vacation with this intentionality, you can quickly see that questions like these answer themselves. Should I shut down 100% or stay connected? Should we do five big things or one big thing? Should we chill on the beach or explore a new city or nature park? There are infinite ways to design and execute a vacation, and they can all be right, or they can all be wrong - it depends on what it is you want.
Sustainable Human Performance doesn't happen by luck or chance; it happens by design. This is why you may want to design your next vacation to make it the best ever.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Scott Peltin // Co-Founder and Chief Catalyst
As the Co-Founder and Chief Catalyst of TIGNUM, Scott has coached many top CEOs, executives, professional athletes, and others to Rule Their Impact. Scott’s unique blend of his 25 years in the Fire Service, education, and coaching experience helps him combine the art and science of Sustainable High Impact to help TIGNUM clients be better, for longer, when it counts the most.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact. Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
A Life-Altering Vacation with Stephanie Lena
Stephanie Lena (Global Trial Program Head, Novartis) sits down with Scott Peltin to share her powerful story of how a new approach to a one-on-one vacation with her husband created the bond and partnership that helped her persevere through cancer shortly thereafter.
Stephanie shares the critical mindset skills and performance habits she developed and applied during her chemotherapy, including anchors, intention setting, and reframing.
Stephanie Lena, Global Trial Program Head, Novartis
In this episode, Stephanie Lena of Novartis sits down with Scott Peltin to share her powerful story of how a new approach to a one on one vacation with her husband created the bond and partnership that helped her persevere through cancer shortly thereafter. She goes on to share the critical mindset skills and performance habits she developed and applied during her chemotherapy including the use of anchors, intention setting, and reframing.
Her amazing story has made us all pause and think differently about how we'll approach our next vacation. We hope you'll do the same.
ABOUT TIGNUM THOUGHTCAST
TIGNUM ThoughtCast is a series of short interviews in which TIGNUM co-founder Scott Peltin sits down with friends, clients, and human performance experts to explore the application of Sustainable Human Performance.
HUMANIZING BIOTECH - HOW COLLABORATIVE CULTURES DRIVE INNOVATIONS TO PATIENTS
Bringing over two decades of experience to his work in developing new cancer treatments and with a history of leading large teams around the world, Dave Lennon emphasized the importance of a strong team spirit, learning from failures, and turning challenges into opportunities for growth.
with Dave Lennon - CEO at Aadi Bioscience. B-LD KITCHEN Founding Member.
Dave Lennon is the current CEO of Aadi Bioscience and brings over two decades of experience to his work in developing new cancer treatments. With a history of leading large teams around the world, Dave emphasized the importance of a strong team spirit, learning from failures, and turning challenges into opportunities for growth.
ABOUT TIGNUM’S B-LD KITCHEN
Ever wondered how top performers reach success? It’s not luck; it’s their boldness and constant readiness to face challenges in a complex, uncertain, and volatile world.
We get it—nowadays it’s tough to stay on top of things without the right energy or tools. That’s why our TIGNUM experts have created the B-LD KITCHEN. Packed with constant inspiration, ongoing conversations, and expert-designed human performance tools and strategies, we aim to significantly impact your work and life, no matter the challenges.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact.
Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
Getting Stronger when fatigue strikes
Feeling tired from hard work is normal. Instead of focusing on exhaustion, reflect on your accomplishments, learn from challenges, and shift to a "we" focus by helping others.
It’s the end of the night, and you’re exhausted. You collapse onto the pillow with a wake of challenges behind you. From tackling your quarterly deliverables to debating how to handle a silo problem to smoothing inner office politics to spending quality time with your two kids, helping them wind down before bed - you left it all on the field today. As you lay there with barely the energy to turn the next page of your book before bed, you ask yourself - am I burning myself out? How long can I possibly keep this up?
We all ask ourselves this question when we are out of energy and feel like we gave it all in so many directions. When the long hours and tough problems empty our cognitive tank, and the personnel issues sap our emotional tank, we may question our own stamina and resilience. We may start to wonder just how long we can keep this up.
What if fatigue is a normal thing from hard work? What if the energy spent actually created something great, moved something critical forward, or paved the way for a future relationship you will always cherish? Would you still be asking yourself these same questions?
The other day, my wife and I had one of these experiences. After a long Saturday of chasing our kids, spending time with our friends and family, and squeezing the life out of every minute, we collapsed on our pillows, exhausted. But a funny thing happened. We didn’t ask each other if we were burned out; instead, we started reflecting on all the fun we had, the impact we made, the memories we will cherish, and the potential we were creating for our kids and our family - the same feeling of fatigue, but a completely different feeling of its meaning.
At TIGNUM, we have seen how fatigue can make the same person fragile or psychologically resilient. It can make them believe in themselves more, or it can raise their self-doubt. It can excite them for the future or scare them to death. So what is the difference?
Your focus makes all the difference
One of the most common differences is your focus. Do you focus on your fatigue and the effort you have put out? Or do you focus on your contributions, the impact you created, and the lessons you learned? The former leaves you zapped, but the latter can leave you energized, inspired, and hungry for more.
Do you focus on the huge amount of things out of your control? Or do you choose to deliberately and consistently focus on those things that you can influence or control? The former leaves you overwhelmed, but the latter makes you feel capable and in control.
Do you choose to focus on how you are being impacted or instead on how you can positively impact others on your team? When you choose to be an energy multiplier for others, to be we-focused instead of me-focused, and to be of service rather than helpless, everything changes. Suddenly you may find your gas tank full rather than empty.
Role modeling these behaviors should be a part of leadership. But unfortunately, most of us learn these Sustainable Human Performance skills when it is too late, and we’re already struggling with burnout. Are you going to wait?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As TIGNUM's Managing Director of the Americas and APAC, Chris is an experienced Sustainable Human Performance coach to many CEO’s, C-suite executives, and professional athletes. In 2020, Chris was inducted into the MG100 Coaches program, an organization of some the best executive coaches, leaders and business thinkers from around the world.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact. Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
Leveraging Hormonal Changes Across Life's Cycles to Sustain High Performance with Dr. Emma Ross
Dr. Emma Ross (Co-Founder and Co-CEO, The Well HQ) advocates a better understanding of how hormones impact our performance. In this episode, she shares how important it is for us to know and expertly navigate through our individual hormonal rhythms.
Dr. Emma Ross, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, The Well HQ
“The body literacy piece is so important in our mid-life as women because it’s critical for helping us understand what we can do; what works and what doesn’t.”
As a lifelong athlete, mother, and highly-respected sports scientist, Dr. Emma Ross has made it her mission to tackle the taboos that exist not only within sports, but business and society, around women’s health, menstrual cycles, mental health and the impact hormones have on our ability to perform at our best. In this conversation with Scott Peltin, Dr. Ross discusses:
How our hormones ebb and flow and how this affects our mental and physical performance at different phases of our hormone cycles
Why understanding our individual rhythms is key to creating an optimal performance state
Why breaking the taboos around the natural female life cycle is imperative to creating psychological safety and effective leadership environments
Bio-individual awareness is critical for every human. Have a listen to discover how you can manage your mindset, movement, nutrition, and recovery strategies during your unique phases to maximize your impact.
ABOUT TIGNUM THOUGHTCAST
TIGNUM ThoughtCast is a series of short interviews in which TIGNUM co-founder Scott Peltin sits down with friends, clients, and human performance experts to explore the application of Sustainable Human Performance.
CHASING THE IMPOSSIBLE
From Tour de France triumphs to smashing unthinkable marathon records and reshaping an iconic fashion brand, the discussion with Fran Millar centers on the transformative influence of a people-focused culture in both sports and business.
with Fran Millar - CEO at Belstaff, ex-CEO of TEAM SKY and INEOS Grenadiers, Tour de France winning teams. B-LD KITCHEN Founding Member.
From Tour de France triumphs to smashing unthinkable marathon records and reshaping an iconic fashion brand, the discussion with Fran Millar centers on the transformative influence of a people-focused culture in both sports and business.
Fran’s story illustrates that merging innovative approaches with authentic human connections reveals the team's hidden drive, sparking an unparalleled passion that leads to extraordinary achievements.
ABOUT TIGNUM’S B-LD KITCHEN
Ever wondered how top performers reach success? It’s not luck; it’s their boldness and constant readiness to face challenges in a complex, uncertain, and volatile world.
We get it—nowadays it’s tough to stay on top of things without the right energy or tools. That’s why our TIGNUM experts have created the B-LD KITCHEN. Packed with constant inspiration, ongoing conversations, and expert-designed human performance tools and strategies, we aim to significantly impact your work and life, no matter the challenges.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact. Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
Bringing Sustainable Human Performance to the team with Dirk-Maarten Molenaar
Work and life are not two different spheres that need to be balanced - sustainable human performance is a much more appealing and integrative approach to simply being our best version.
Dirk Maarten-Molenaar, Managing Director and Senior Partner, BCG
Sustainable Human Performance is both simple and complex at the same time. Dirk-Marten Molenaar shares how learning about Sustainable Human Performance profoundly changed his life and how he consequently introduced the concept to his teams and initiated major shifts company-wide.
He has an in-depth understanding that there is no one perfect performance strategy, but rather it differs from person to person and over time. Yet, adopting your performance strategies according to need and context should never mean letting them drop, no matter how turbulent the times. Why? If you are a paid thinker, like many of us are, you should never compromise on your own brain power.
ABOUT TIGNUM THOUGHTCAST
TIGNUM ThoughtCast is a series of short interviews in which TIGNUM co-founder Scott Peltin sits down with friends, clients, and human performance experts to explore the application of Sustainable Human Performance.
Stay energized and focused during a job transition
Starting a new role or job is an exciting time that takes planning and preparation. By default, the transition comes with challenges that can test your self-belief and bring about fatigue. Stay on top of your game during these times of change by defining your non-negotiable strategies to keep your energy and focus high.
Whether you’ve earned a promotion, moved to a new organization, or taken on new responsibility in your current job, new roles start with celebration, excitement, and a sense of accomplishment. Rightfully so - you've earned it. Few things satiate the human brain like being recognized for your talent and experience and being given an opportunity to grow into a role with higher visibility, reach, and impact. Often, this same excitement and gratitude is the very thing that sabotages performance during the transition period, leading to a tidal wave of self-doubt, fear, and uncertainty.
How could that be?
The “dual-role” period
In most cases, a transition involves an onboarding period of learning new systems, building relationships with new stakeholders, finding clarity around expectations, and building your strategy. At the same time, you’re typically asked to continue to ensure that all of your old responsibilities are taken care of and the person taking over is set up for success. You effectively now have two roles.
If you’re moving to an entirely new company, you won’t have a dual role, but you will have a lot more heavy lifting to do with onboarding. Similarly, you will likely have to make significant changes to the structure of your day, move to a new location, leave old colleagues behind, and establish a new tempo. Failing to account for this doubled cognitive and emotional load and setting an unsustainable pace to learn and prove yourself to others are the leading causes of over-fatigue during these periods.
Commonly, this fatigue can lead to brain fog, feeling out of control, self-doubt, and reflexive, often destructive behaviors. This can be avoided by building a recovery plan for your transition and continuously building your self-belief.
Build a plan to keep your cognitive capacity high
When starting a new job, there will always be many things out of your control. In order to show up at your best, reduce fatigue, and regain the feeling of control, a great approach is to control the start and the end of your day. Within these two windows, you can define the non-negotiable strategies you will use to sharpen your focus, build your energy stores, proactively prepare for your day, and build in your recovery moments.
So what is your start-of-the-day plan? How can you prime your mindset, feed your brain, move to activate your nervous system, and focus yourself to multiply others' energy?
Similarly, what is your end-of-day plan? How can you shut down from a busy day, create a natural melatonin (sleep hormone) release, capture your key learnings from the day, and calm your nervous system for sleep?
Make self-belief building an ongoing practice
With any new role comes self-doubt. While we could write books about building authentic self-belief, here are a few quick suggestions to help you.
First, reflect on other moments in your life where you've had similar transitions, experienced but overcame self-doubt, and moved forward to succeed.
Second, at the end of each day, write down a few things you did well, a couple of things you want to do better, and one thing you learned.
Finally, prepare - prepare - prepare. Nothing builds true self-belief like preparing for a big meeting, building recovery into your preparation, and setting clear intentions.
Transitioning to a new role is a challenging but exciting time if you can avoid putting your head down and going into wing-it mode with your Sustainable Human Performance. By creating your transition recovery plan and continually practicing self-belief building, you can regain control and multiply your readiness to take on the challenges that lie ahead.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jake Marx // Head of Performance Coaching
Jake is the Head of Performance Coaching for TIGNUM. He is responsible for finding, developing, preparing, and growing all TIGNUM Performance Specialists. He is an experienced Sustainable Human Performance coach to many top senior executives.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact. Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
The Firefighter Mindset
Understanding the mental models used by fire fighters helps professionals to operate in todays combustible business environments. The firefighter mindset offers a comprehensive and applicable model to handle crisis after crisis in a sustainable manner.
The world is undeniably getting more chaotic, less predictable, more uncertain, and more combustible. This leads to an increasing number of clients telling us that they spend more and more time firefighting. When we ask them how they prepare their mindset, approach their challenges, deal with the roller coaster of emotions, and recover from these high-stress engagements, we are often met with a blind stare and silence.
As we coach our clients to achieve their bold projects in this combustible environment, we have found that combining our TIGNUM Sustainable Human Performance tools and strategies with our combined 55+ years of experience in the fire service has been helpful. We want to share a few mental maps to help you engage more strategically, think more logically, find more calm in the storm, recover better, and learn more purposefully. Ultimately, you will be more prepared and strategic with your future firefights.
Increase your readiness for the unexpected
The first lesson you learn in the fire service is that your personal readiness is your greatest tool. Your team depends on you, the effectiveness of the operation depends on you, and, most importantly, those who call you for assistance on their worst day depend on you. You start every shift by checking your protective equipment, investing in your physical capabilities, gathering any learnings from the crew you’re replacing, and mentally transitioning to be ready for the most challenging call in your life that may come any minute.
What’s the first thing you do to start your day at work? Are you really ready?
When we get dispatched, we immediately begin a systematic and comprehensive problem analysis that analyzes the extent of the situation, the volatility to life (ours and those involved), the options to tackle the problem, and the resources needed. We call this our size up, where we rapidly analyze eight critical fire ground factors and communicate our assessment, strategy, and immediate actions. Everyone involved always knows exactly what everyone else is doing and why.
How do you size up your challenges? Do you have a logical, repeatable, effective, and efficient process for managing your fires?
Mental models for quick strategic decision-making
In the fire service, we use two mental models that are key to our success. First, we assess and account for all seven sides of the building (the inside, front, left side, back side, right side, above the fire, and below the fire). We know that what we don’t know may kill us, while at the same time, we know that time is critical because fire grows exponentially. This means we combine intelligence gathering with doing the work, but we are always clear about what we know and don’t know. Second, we analyze every fire with a risk management profile. Simply put, we will risk our lives a lot in a calculated manner to save savable lives. We will risk our lives a little in a calculated manner to save savable property. And, we will not risk our lives at all to save lives or property that are already lost.
What mental models do you apply to your bold projects and challenges to assess your risks and opportunities?
From the second we engage with a building on fire, we are tracking both the effectiveness of the workers and their well-being. We track how much air they have left in their breathing apparatus and their progress on their assigned tasks, and we constantly make sure they have the resources needed to achieve their tasks. As each crew exits the hazard zone, we immediately send them to a rehabilitation sector where they are assessed and monitored, hydrated and nourished, and where they can quickly recover and reset before they are reassigned to the firefight.
Do you oscillate in the middle of your biggest challenges, or do you just put your head down and attempt to be superhuman? Do you go alone, or do you check in with the team and help them come along?
At the onset of every incident, the first responding unit assumes and announces command. There are no leaderless emergencies, so it is always clear that there is accountability, a purposeful strategy, a practiced and polished communications system, and constant attention to everyone’s safety.
Do you always know who is in charge of your crisis? Do you have a set communication model? Do you have someone paying attention to everyone’s needs for recovery?
After-action reviews are crucial for increasing readiness
When an incident is over, it is announced that the fire is under control, there is an all-clear (there are no victims), there is a loss stopped (no more damage will occur), and all units are accounted for (everyone is safe and able to return home). At this time, an after-action critique occurs on the scene, and all learnings are captured. We go to each unit and have them tell us what actions they took, what they did well, and what they could have done better. When the units are released, they are ready for the next emergency, and everyone is smarter.
How do you announce when your bold project or crisis is completed? Do you always do an after-action review?
With the right mindset, fighting your fires will no longer be full of chaos, reactivity, high stress, and avoidance. You will find yourself being able to approach your problems with the calmness, proactiveness, strategic thinking, and professionalism as a firefighter. At TIGNUM, we make people with extreme jobs stronger. This starts by developing your mindset skills to take on your boldest projects. While the work is important, nothing is more important and more foundational than your and your team’s Personal Readiness.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Scott Peltin // Co-Founder and Chief Catalyst
As the Co-Founder and Chief Catalyst of TIGNUM, Scott has coached many top CEOs, executives, professional athletes, and others to Rule Their Impact. Scott’s unique blend of his 25 years in the Fire Service, education, and coaching experience helps him combine the art and science of Sustainable High Performance to help TIGNUM clients be better, for longer, when it counts the most.
Jeff Case // Senior Performance Specialist
Jeff is a Performance Specialist for TIGNUM. He is responsible for delivering and supporting TIGNUM programs. His role includes coaching top senior executives, as well as delivering TIGNUM programs around the globe. Jeff's professional background includes 35 years in the Fire Service with over 18 years at the Executive Chief Officer level, providing strategic level leadership and advancement of the Fire Service as a national presenter and innovator.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact. Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
Leveraging Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is a universal human experience, yet it's consistently associated with exhaustion, fear, freezing, and even burnout. This TIGNUM Thought teaches you how to reframe imposter syndrome to use it as a catalyst for growth.
Imposter Syndrome. Just the name alone sounds like something to avoid and something that might make you wind up in the hospital or worse. Much of what you may have read or heard paints it in a negative light. It’s been linked to exhaustion, fear, freezing, and, most recently, burnout. It also seems like now, even if someone feels just a tiny bit nervous before doing a big task, they label it “Imposter Syndrome.” The irony is that Imposter Syndrome is probably one of the most universal experiences humans share and one of the most misunderstood.
Perhaps it was showing up to a new school on the first day, your first “real” job, getting a promotion, or even being chosen to lead a critical project. The feelings of Imposter Syndrome are pretty universal. You feel nervous, anxious, apprehensive, and maybe even full of dread. Your thoughts may ruminate around “not being good enough,” “being inadequate,” and even “what if they find out I’m not smart/good enough for this role?” While these thoughts can be a recipe for poor performance, feeling Imposter Syndrome doesn’t guarantee you’ll do poorly, nor does it mean you aren’t ready. In fact, at TIGNUM, we believe that Imposter Syndrome can actually be quite useful, help you learn more, and become even more impactful in your new venture. How do you do this? It’s simple - embrace it.
Imposter Syndrome naturally comes with embarking on a great journey
The interesting thing about Imposter Syndrome is that it often occurs when you go through a significant transition or transformation period. It rarely flares up when things are going easy and when you're facing the mundane daily. It happens when there is change - change in you. You may often read that you need to “avoid Imposter Syndrome” or "use these tips not to feel that way." To be honest, if you never felt Imposter Syndrome, it meant you weren’t growing, challenging yourself, or evolving as a person. For that reason, we think that Imposter Syndrome isn’t a sign of bad things to come; we believe it’s the first sign of great things.
If you’re feeling challenged by a new role, it means that someone believed you were strong enough to do it. Embrace the discomfort of growth. If you feel inadequate in your experience or knowledge, it means you have an opportunity to learn so much more. Embrace the discomfort of not knowing. Try to reframe your original thoughts or feelings toward celebrating the new opportunity you’ve earned or thinking of how much you’ll grow as a result of this new venture.
Turn the discomfort of leaving your comfort zone into curiousity
Another amazing way to leverage Imposter Syndrome is to use it to unlock your curiosity. When you feel surrounded by uncertainty, use it as a trigger to ask more questions. Research has found that when faced with uncertainty, the brain becomes more vigilant in looking for new information. The problem is many of us don’t leverage this because we are too busy distracting ourselves with how nervous or inadequate we feel. But, if we lean into the brain's default solution to find new information, it enhances our situational awareness and helps us process more information, create clarity, and find solutions. Recent research even shows that when you learn something new, there is a dopamine release in the brain, giving you excitement and satisfaction. When you feel the discomfort of Imposter Syndrome, let that be the alarm bell to look around and start asking questions and flex your curiosity.
A universal truth on Imposter Syndrome
Finally, one thing that will, without a doubt, cause your Imposter Syndrome to feel worse and even reoccur is fatigue. There is a reciprocal relationship where Imposter Syndrome can cause emotional fatigue, but feeling fatigued can also amplify the feelings of Imposter Syndrome. The emotions and brain power required to go through a transition, learn new things, and grow as an individual will already be fatiguing. The last thing you want to do is compound it all by not strategically practicing recovery. Going through a transition or starting something new is an excellent opportunity to double down on your recovery strategies or establish new behaviors. Making sleep a priority, moving more, choosing brain-boosting meals, and practicing breathing techniques can give your body the extra energy it needs to navigate through this period of transformation.
So, the next time you feel uneasy with a new challenge, don't fear that you may have Impostor Syndrome. Instead, embrace it and all of the great things it can generate.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Wade // Chief Performance Officer
Brian is the Head of Research and Development and a Senior Performance Specialist for TIGNUM. He is responsible for keeping TIGNUM content and methodology cutting edge and science-based. He is an experienced Sustainable Human Performance coach to many top senior executives, professional athletes, and special operations troops. Brian’s professional past includes supporting the US Army Special Forces cognitive performance program.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact. Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
The future will belong to those bold enough to create it
In this episode, Scott Peltin, TIGNUM’s Chief Catalyst, and Jogi Rippel, TIGNUM’s CEO, discuss their proactive strategies for navigating today's complexities and how their B-LD KITCHEN initiative equips leaders with the tools to embrace challenges boldly and shape the future.
SCOTT PELTIN, TIGNUM CHIEF CATALYST AND JOGI RIPPEL, FOUNDER AND CEO AT TIGNUM
In this final episode, Scott and Jogi shared their key takeaways from four years of ThoughtCast interviews. They talked about their initial motivation to start this interview series and why they felt it was time to take it to the next level.
While the challenges in the world get ever more complex, people struggle to become the game-changers we need. Instead of consuming more one-way content, aspiring professionals need deeper, more participative conversations that offer pragmatic solutions from a human lens.
TIGNUM, therefore, started the B-LD KITCHEN, our metaphorical lab designed to act as a catalyst for business professionals to maximize their impact. B-LD members get inspired, prepared, connected, and enabled to be more and move the needle.
The B-LD KITCHEN is our proactive approach to navigating today's uncertainty and shaping the world.
"The best way to predict the future is to create it." P. Drucker and A.Lincoln
Thank you for being our listeners.
Be More. Be Bold.
ABOUT TIGNUM THOUGHTCAST
TIGNUM Thoughtcast is a series of interviews in which TIGNUM’s Chief Catalyst, Scott Peltin, gets together with industry leaders and human performance specialists to dig a little deeper into what it means to be human while accomplishing bold projects. They discuss best practices and real-life experiences of aspiring professionals working on game-changing projects.
This is a limited selection of episodes for you to get insights into personal readiness and human performance in the business context.
In June 2023, these conversations were taken to the next level, and TIGNUM’s B-LD KITCHEN.
The B-LD KITCHEN is our metaphorical lab designed for business professionals, that combines inspiration, meaningful conversations, and practical human performance tools in a unique hub moderated by leading human performance experts. It is where highly diverse minds engage actively or passively at the speed and time that suits them best.
Do You Have the Skills to Own Your Mindset?
Ownership is one of the many skills that can make up a performance mindset. Like all performance mindset skills, ownership isn’t some genetic trait you are born with or not. Instead, it's something that can and must be developed and grown over time.
So much has been written about the concept of ownership, and it's something that often comes up in coaching and supporting our clients. Interestingly enough, you can get many different thoughts and definitions on what ownership means. But, there is one common theme that arises. People, especially leaders, want to know how to promote ownership within their teams.
At TIGNUM, we see ownership as one of the many skills that can make up a performance mindset. It’s an important component, just like vulnerability, curiosity, mental agility, and even humor. Like all performance mindset skills, ownership isn’t some genetic trait you are born with or not. Instead, it's something that can and must be developed and grown over time.
Ownership isn’t just taking charge of a project. It’s more than just taking responsibility or accountability for consequences and outcomes. Ownership goes beyond things like seniority or titles. In our view, ownership comes down to the choices you make in giving yourself the best chance to be your best self. Here are three areas where we see a new perspective on ownership being impactful.
Ownership is a mindset skill that plays out in all the choices you make
.01 Think about the last time you prepared for a big presentation, meeting, or one-on-one. How did you prepare? You probably reviewed your notes, slides, data, etc., which are all great methods from a technical perspective. But how did you prepare yourself? Did you think about how you wanted to be perceived through your body language, verbal tone, or emotions? Did you purposefully energize or calm yourself so that you had the right amount of energy? Did you plan your food, caffeine, or proper hydration to ensure your brain and body had the best possible nutrients to help your brain perform? This type of preparation is taking true ownership. It’s ownership over one’s self to ensure that we have prepared ourselves, not just our work.
.02 Another interesting aspect of ownership is what you choose to focus on. Having true ownership is choosing to focus on things within your control. It’s focusing on the things you can do versus the things you cannot do. We see wonderful examples of this with Paralympic athletes. When they give interviews, these athletes focus on their strengths and the things they can do, instead of focusing or spending energy on the things they can’t do or the things outside of their control.
.03 True ownership is making the most out of what you have. Fatigue is a common experience for all of us. But how we choose to view and allow it to influence us is not as common. When we are fatigued, we can choose to let it be something that takes us away from being our best selves. It’s easy for us to say, “I’m only at 70% today, so I’m not going to be at my best.” It’s a lot harder for us to choose to say, “I’m going to give 100% of my 70% today.” One of these mindsets primes you to feel fatigued and ineffective, and the other focuses on owning and maximizing your energy and focus.
Finally, taking ownership isn’t just about successes and failures. After all, you cannot guarantee success. But, by practicing true ownership, you can guarantee yourself the chance to be successful. By making better choices on your actions, routines, what you focus on, and how you prepare, you’ve strategically transformed yourself into a Sustainable High Performer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Wade // Chief Performance Officer
Brian is the Head of Research and Development and a Senior Performance Specialist for TIGNUM. He is responsible for keeping TIGNUM content and methodology cutting edge and science-based. He is an experienced Sustainable Human Performance coach to many top senior executives, professional athletes, and special operations troops. Brian’s professional past includes supporting the US Army Special Forces cognitive performance program.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact. Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
Getting Stronger in the Storm
When facing life's storms, it feels like we are pushing against the wind. Things are unpredictable, uncertain, and hard. We may even make assumptions that these storms will surely lead to burnout. But is this true?
We all encounter storms in our life (work and home) when things are difficult, we feel like we are pushing against the wind, and things are unpredictable, uncertain, and hard. During these storms, we push hard, and, too often, we see these storms as burdens that make us weaker. We may even make assumptions that these storms, and the hard pushes that come with them, will surely lead to burnout. But is this true? Do the hard pushes in a storm have to make us weaker? Is there a way to actually get stronger in the storm?
At TIGNUM, we study human performance - not just in the smooth and easily manageable times (which are occurring at a much lower frequency), but in the heat of the moment, in the pain of the grind, and in the crunch time when failure is not an option. We partner with and support our clients to change the paradigm from where these storms leave you 10% worse to where these storms can leave you 10% stronger. Most importantly, you go from being 75% of your best when it matters most in the storm - to being 100% when the greatest challenges require your best.
While our latest book, BeMore, goes into more detail, we thought that during the current storms, we would share a few buckets of best practices we have used to help clients get stronger in their storms. If you’re thinking, “I can’t do any more,” keep in mind, that you are not alone, and we understand. The fact is that in the storm, you are already doing more. When we say BeMore, we mean follow the best practices to help you show up more focused, more present, more prepared, more energized, and more resilient. These are key to making more of an impact.
Lead your self-talk to generate supportive thoughts
The first bucket, and probably the most critical, is your mindset. It all starts with a focus on your mindset, driven by your self-talk and inner stories. As soon as you allow your mind to start telling you thoughts like: “Here we go again, I am so tired of this,” or “If I’m this tired now, how will I make it for another three months of this,” or “I don’t think any of this matters, so why should I care,” you are getting weaker and becoming defeated. Don’t get us wrong, these thoughts are normal, and we only shared the tame ones.
The point is that during these pushes, you have to direct your brain with purposeful, productive, guided thoughts - and not listen to the drama and victim-filled thoughts your brain will create. Some pre-framed thoughts our clients have used to replace these thoughts are: “Break it down - I don’t have to make it three months, I just need to tackle this morning,” or “This is a tough push, but I’m tougher, so as long as I approach this from a Sustainable Human Performance way, I will win,” or “I’ll be my best for this next meeting and then worry about what comes next.” The common element of these reframes is that they take control and, therefore, put the brain back in control.
Decrease the charge of your emotions
Another key mindset strategy is to embrace the suck. Not from a cheeky angle, but from a scientifically-proven approach that starts with labeling the emotions you are feeling. This emotion labeling step helps your brain identify exactly what you are feeling, which is critical to developing emotional agility. Next, apply specific breathing techniques in the critical moment to stop the cascade of cortisol and adrenaline (stress response hormones). Don’t do this to find your happy place; do this to quickly pitstop and identify the choices that the storm has presented to you. This will put your brain back in control by consistently making the best choice possible. This helps stop the sensation of feeling overwhelmed and helps you lean into the next challenge of the day.
Never compromise your (micro-) recovery breaks
The second bucket is your own energy and resilience. You need to invest in these, no matter how hard the push. Start your day strong with the right movement, priming the brain with the right thoughts and images, feeding the brain with the right performance foods and nutrients, and identifying where your opportunities are to multiply your impact today. Most importantly, become diligent about your sleep. There is no doubt that sleep during the storm can be challenging as the brain creates so many ruminating thoughts (this would take a separate blog to cover), but being sure to increase the amount of your sleep by 10% always pays huge dividends.
Apply micro-recovery breaks throughout every day and create longer breaks wherever you can. Micro-recovery breaks work best when they are part of the transition between events so they can double the benefits. These transitions with recovery built in will prepare you for what is coming and, at the same time, refill your performance energy tanks so you can bring your best. We have written so much about great examples of this before, so we will leave this to you. But the kiss of death is the thought, “I’m too busy to do my micro-recovery breaks.” The longer breaks like an afternoon off, or a 3-day weekend, are also critical but often missed. These slightly longer breaks provide you a quick reset, and they also give you a chance to check in and see what is working for you, what isn’t working for you, and how you will attack the next chunk of work in a smarter way.
Breakdown the load into manageable chunks
The third bucket is breaking down the heavy loads during the storm. This is called chunking, and it works even if you only do it in your mind. The brain does well with small challenges but struggles when it can’t see the end and doesn’t have a benchmark to see if it is making progress. Breaking the day into four chunks like your morning prep, your morning work, your afternoon work, and your evening can make the busiest day manageable. Sometimes, breaking it down into even smaller chunks like these two meetings, then this work time, then these three meetings, etc., can be helpful. Other times, breaking down the work into chunks like research time, compilation time, writing time, refinement time, etc., can help your brain realize that each type of work is unique and, therefore, the Sustainable Human Performance strategies you implement should adjust so you can bring your best work to each phase.
Intentionally strengthen your self-belief
Finally (just for this blog because there is much more that can be done), and this is created by all three buckets - constantly check in with, and feed, your self-belief. Fatigue and grinding have a way of chipping away at self-belief, and when self-belief falters, the boat is getting ready to sink in the middle of the storm. We have written about this previously, but one great technique we use is a daily reflection we call the 3-2-1 reflection. Write down 3 things you did well today that mattered, 2 things you wish you could have done better and what that would have looked like, and 1 thing you learned. This reflection helps you see the impact you have made, the benefits of your choices, and the learning and growth you have achieved.
Human beings are incredible, and, therefore, you are incredible. It is amazing the amount of pain, suffering, setbacks, and grind we can endure when we feel in control, when we feel the benefits, when we feel the growth, and when we overcome challenges. These feelings don’t come by chance; they come by choice and by approaching the push like a Sustainable Human Performer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Scott Peltin // Co-Founder and Chief Catalyst
As the Co-Founder and Chief Catalyst of TIGNUM, Scott has coached many top CEOs, executives, professional athletes, and others to Rule Their Impact. Scott’s unique blend of his 25 years in the Fire Service, education, and coaching experience helps him combine the art and science of Sustainable High Impact to help TIGNUM clients be better, for longer, when it counts the most.
ABOUT TIGNUM
TIGNUM is the major performance building block for business professionals, designed around a skill- and data-based approach that respects the individuality, focuses on the brain, evolves constantly, and creates lasting impact. Its international team comes from a wide range of fields, including human behavior, elite athletics, special forces, performance medicine, executive coaching, change consultants, and more.
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