Sal Silvester on the Future of Leadership

Wiring Intelligence: What Elite Athletes Can Teach Executives About Performing Under Pressure

In this episode of Sal Silvester on the Future of Leadership, sports psychologist Dr. Bobby Low joins Sal to explore how elite performers rewire their minds for success. From his journey as a “mediocre” athlete to becoming an NCAA All-American and professional pole vaulter, Dr. Bobby shares how intentional thinking, visualization, and mental discipline transformed his performance. We discuss why self-belief comes before confidence, how repeated thoughts wire neural patterns, and how executives can apply athlete-level mental training to perform under pressure. If you want to elevate your leadership and build proactive mental patterns that drive results, this conversation will show you how to start wiring your intelligence with intention.

Season 8 Opener: The Transformation Season

Welcome to Season 8 of Sal Silvester on the Future of Leadership - The Transformation Season.

The pace of change is accelerating. AI. Technological disruption. Shifting workplace expectations. Entire business models evolving in real time. The question for leaders is no longer whether change is happening — it’s:

How do I scale my leadership at the same pace as the world around me… and stay grounded while performing at my highest level?

In this opening episode, Sal kicks off the season with a solo conversation focused on one of the most critical leadership capabilities of our time: navigating change from the inside out.

Before welcoming this season’s guests - including wellness pioneer Udo Erasmus, performance psychologist Dr. Bobby Low, organizational psychologist Melissa Doman, and others - Sal lays the foundation with three practical tools to help you better understand:

How people actually respond to change

The neuroscience behind resistance, fear, and uncertainty

A simple framework to lead yourself - and others - through transition with clarity and composure

Transformation isn’t just about strategy. It’s about identity. It’s about rewiring how we think, respond, and lead when the ground beneath us shifts.

If you’re a growth-minded leader who wants to elevate human performance - starting with your own - this season is for you.

Season 7 Best of: The Corporate Athlete

In this special “Best Of” episode closing out Season 7, Sal shares standout moments and bonus clips from every guest of the season, all focused on one theme: performing like a corporate athlete. From sleep and emotional intelligence to resilience, wellness, decision-making, and recovery, you’ll hear powerful insights from world-class experts, leaders, and high performers. Whether you’re leading a team or leveling up your own habits, this episode is packed with practical wisdom to help you optimize how you show up at work and in life.

The Missing Link in Performance: Shifting How Others See You

You’ve been promoted, you’ve built new habits, you’ve shifted your style. But here’s the challenge: the people around you may still see the “old” you. In this episode, Sal Silvester unpacks why behavior change alone isn’t enough - and why leaders also need to shift the way others perceive them. With stories from executive coaching, practical examples, and a proven three-step approach, you’ll learn how to make your growth visible and lasting.

Josh Bersin: Rethinking HR and Learning in the Age of AI

Artificial intelligence isn’t just changing how we work - it’s transforming how we learn. In this episode, I sit down with Josh Bersin, one of the world’s leading HR and workplace analysts, to explore the intersection of AI, learning and development (L&D), and the evolving role of HR. Josh shares how AI is shifting the learning landscape and how organizations can harness AI to personalize learning, accelerate skills development, and redefine the role of HR in building the workforce of the future.

Endurance, Purpose, and Performance: The Fastest Woman to Have Run Around the World

What does it take to become the fastest woman to run around the world - and what can leaders learn from that journey? In this powerful episode of Sal Silvester on the Future of Leadership, we’re joined by Marie “Lootie” Léautéy, a record-setting endurance athlete who ran over 28,000 kilometers across four continents in just under 700 days. Lootie shares the mental frameworks, disciplined routines, recovery strategies, and moments of profound personal transformation that made her historic run possible.

As part of Season 7 (focused on Elevating Human Performance at Work) we unpack what leaders can borrow from high-performance athletes like Lootie to build more intentional routines, reconnect with purpose, and stay resilient through uncertainty.

In this episode, we explore: The pivotal moment that sparked Lootie’s transformation Her system for building capacity and testing performance like a lab Injury prevention and recovery strategies under extreme demands How to manage mindset and stay emotionally grounded in solitude Lessons on identity, purpose, and performance that apply far beyond sport Whether you're leading a team or navigating your own professional marathon, this episode will inspire you to think - and lead - like an athlete.

From the NFL to the Boardroom: Cory Procter on Training, Mindset & Recovery for Peak Performance

What can corporate leaders learn from elite athletes? In this episode, former NFL offensive lineman Cory Procter joins Sal Silvester to explore how the habits of high-performance athletes translate into the workplace. Cory shares lessons from his football career - including how he trained individually and with a team, the mental routines that prepared him for game day, and the critical role of recovery. Now a successful wealth manager, Cory also reflects on how he applies those same principles to lead his business and support his team. Whether you're an executive, entrepreneur, or people leader, this episode will challenge you to think differently about how you train, recover, and lead at work. Highlights include: Building intentional pre-game routines (and how to apply them in business) Mental frameworks for staying grounded under pressure Recovery as a leadership advantage Lessons from the NFL that still shape Cory’s approach to life and work.

Leverage Your Mind, Brain and Physiology to Perform Your Best at Work

In this episode of Sal Silvester on the Future of Leadership, Dr. Gavriel (Gav) Schneider takes us inside the core of his Presilience framework by focusing on three foundational enablers of high performance: the mind, brain, and body. We explore how leaders can build psychological readiness, harness neuroscience for better decision-making, and optimize physical wellbeing to sustain performance under pressure. Dr. Gav shares powerful insights on stress inoculation, chunking, and how to manage the body’s fight-or-flight response. We also discuss the “seesaw effect” between emotional and factual thinking—and how it impacts conflict, strategy, and communication.

Breaking the Burnout Cycle: Wellness Strategies for Executives

In this episode of Sal Silvester on the Future of Leadership, we dive into the critical yet often overlooked topic of executive wellness. Our guest, Jan Jenkins, shares insights into how leaders can prioritize their physical, mental, and emotional well-being to enhance their performance and the culture of their organizations.

We explore what executive wellness really means, the challenges of mental overload and emotional build-up in leadership roles, and how these factors impact decision-making, creativity, and team dynamics. Jan offers practical strategies to prevent burnout, build resilience, and create sustainable wellness habits.

Optimize Your Health, Elevate Your Leadership: A Blueprint for High Performers

What if the key to peak leadership performance wasn’t just strategy and execution, but optimizing your health? In this episode of Sal Silvester on the Future of Leadership, Dr. Tracy Gapin, a physician and expert in high-performance health, reveals how executives often overlook critical blind spots in their well-being—impacting their energy, decision-making, and overall effectiveness. Dr. Gapin shares his perspective to help leaders shift from a reactive, outdated healthcare model to a proactive, data-driven approach. From gut health and stress management to sleep optimization and hormone balance, this episode is packed with actionable insights on how leaders can transform their health to unlock sharper focus, higher resilience, and sustained success. If you’re an executive navigating high-stakes environments, this conversation will change how you think about performance—both in business and in life.