Culture Under Pressure – The Last 8% (Outthinkers Podcast #130)

“Now here's the thing: The very same moment when we need to take a risk to be high performing, our brain, which has been designed to protect the body, save, survive, our brain defaults to protection, not risk in that same moment. And so there's this conflict.??We call it the fundamental conflict of performance. And unless you can get over that and get really underneath that, people will not take risks.”?

JP Pawliw-Fry , is a world-renowned keynote speaker and 纽约时报 bestselling author. He also coaches Navy Seals, professional athletes and their coaches on high performance.?

As the founder of Institute for Health and Human Potential and an expert in culture, leadership, and emotional intelligence, JP has helped some of the most successful Fortune 100 companies unlock their potential by fostering courageous, high-performing cultures.?

JP's research has led him to help organizations cultivate high-performing cultures by enabling employees to overcome fear and feel valued, have a voice, and feel safe to take risks and be courageous.?

He recently joined me on the Outthinkers Podcast to discuss insights from his book, Performing Under Pressure. We explore the intersection of culture with individual psychology to create high-performing cultures.?

In the episode, JP shares:?

• How pressure—and specifically cortisol—affects our perception, and why the idea that we work better under pressure...is a fallacy ?
• His theory of the 8% gap—how humans are programmed to perform well in 92% of cases, and then switch into “avoid or make a mess” mode when we get to the last 8%?
• How you as a leader and organization can enable people operate in that 8%?
• Why the right unit of measure of culture is not your organization or even your business unit, but your team (and the implications of this are for culture change)
• An interesting model for assessing culture

Listen to the full episode here.

Episode Timeline:

00:00—Highlight from today's episode

00:58—Introducing JP + the topic of today’s episode

02:53—If you really know me, you know that...

03:35—Defining strategy and the role of culture

05:52—Teaching as a catalyst for deeper learning and personal growth

08:12—How team culture is forged: the role of pressure and cortisol?

10:33—Understanding the last 8 percent

14:34—Bridging the gap between intent and action

17:46—The 8 percent culture map

19:58—Risk-taking and its connection to innovation and performance

22:30—Debunking myths about pressure and performance

26:15—How can people follow you and continue learning from you?

More Resources:

• Personal website: www.jppawliw-fry.com
• Link to book: Performing Under Pressure
• Linkedin: www.dhirubhai.net/in/jppawliwfry