Paradox of High Performance Narratives

Hi there,

We have 3 more episodes of this inaugural series of In The Business of Healthy Masculinity and this week we have a cool human in elite sports psychologist, podcast host, and lecturer, Dr Peter Olusoga:

Dr Peter Olusoga is a BPS Chartered Psychologist and Senior Lecturer in Psychology. Peter completed his PhD in 2012, focusing on stress and coping in elite sports coaching, and his current work focuses on burnout, well-being, and creating sustainability in high-performance environments.

He is an internationally recognised researcher, invited speaker, panellist, and regular guest on BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind. He is also the producer and host of the award-winning podcast, Eighty Percent Mental, in which he explores the psychology underpinning performance, sport, health, and well-being with expert guests.

Drawing on his extensive research and work with high-performance sport organisations, Peter focuses on the importance of organisational and cultural change for sustainable well-being, in addition to inclusive, evidence-based strategies that allow individuals to truly thrive.

You can follow Peter’s work at the following:

* Eighty Percent Mental podcast

* LinkedIn

I was particular taken aback by how Peter dances across sport, systems, and education and this makes for a very rich conversation.

I hope that you will agree - Let us know in the comments below.

Vulnerability as a strength

“Rather than blindly continuing along this path, like everything’s fine, we can look at that honest evaluation of vulnerability as something that’s actually a sign of real strength.” - Dr Peter Olusoga

As host of over 138 conversations on the Value through Vulnerability podcast between Oct 2018 and May 2020, I know just how true that statement is that Peter makes, yet here in 2026 it still seems a huge gap for many, especially men, to traverse.

This platform, I believe, has helped us get into the weeds around why that still is; a mix of not feeling below the neck, self worth wrapped in external factors, not consciously balancing a mix of feminine and masculine energy, as three key examples - yet within business spaces, slowing down, taking a breathe or even stopping are still too often deemed as a ‘waste’ or weak.

How does Peter’s comment above and my summary of this platform’s clarity sit with you? What would you add, challenge, or suggest as other ways to create the conditions to allow ALL of our humanity/experience to come to the fore?

Are people disposable to you?

“In a leadership position, what are your personal values? Are you completely uninterested in other people? Are people disposable to you? Are people just sort of this widget, this sort of cog in a machine? And are you okay with that? And if you are okay with that, then I can’t reach you other than by telling you about the bottom line.” - Dr Peter Olusoga

Something that really struck me personally in Peter’s statement here was how speaking to the bottom line should be the LAST thing we are thinking about, and not the first.

Why do I say this? Hitting any metric, number, goal etc is an OUTCOME of getting everything else set up right. Your mindset, your culture, your behaviours, etc

Yet too often within business the metric IS the goal, and too much harm, disengagement, and worse occurs in pursuit of a myopic end.

I am looking forward to a new opportunity some time soon to model this myself, and thus I am keen to understand what you may challenge, reinforce, or bring in addition to my assertions and Peter’s statement above?

The belief in 'only one way' reduces the space for vulnerability and seeking help

“A lot of the narrative around sports around this, this kind of hypermasculine, like grit and resilience, pushing through pressure and adversity. It doesn’t really leave a lot of room for being vulnerable and seeking help, mental health issues, all that sort of stuff. - Dr Peter Olusoga

I see this belief in ‘only one way’ within business spaces ALL the time. The space for diverse perspectives, to challenge norms, to reimagine even, is very quickly shut down in favour of ‘productivity’ or action.

What if you could still ‘win,’ maybe win even more, by slowing down, by including more diver voices, by engaging curiosity of certainty more often?

What if winning wasn’t just being the most profitable, or winning the gold medal, what if it meant leaving a lasting impact in your community, or in society, whilst still making a fair profit?

What are you thinking, feeling, and what are your thoughts?

Modelling psychological safety - not just talking about it

“The thing that I always say about psychological safety is you can’t tell me that you’re creating a psychologically safe environment. You have to show me that you’ve created a psychologically safe environment by your behaviours, by the way you respond and the way you set up those situations in which other people are allowed to have their feedback.” - Dr Peter Olusoga

This was a BOOM! moment for me when Peter shared the above. I first learned about this topic back in 2018 when I read Amy Edmondson’s book ‘The Fearless Organization.’ It inspired me so much that I managed to get Amy onto my Value through Vulnerability podcast back in 2018.

I have observed people, including me, talk about psychological safety for years, but too rarely do I hear everyday stories of people EMBODYING it behaviourally. The concept is clear, the messy reality less so by day.

So I am challenging myself and to you, the reader, to consciously practice embodying psychological safety for yourself and those around you. Do share any reflections as you practice this.

What are compromises of performance environments?

“I guess high performance environments more generally are sort of driven by this performance narrative. Where it’s all about the win and it’s all about the success. And we don’t necessarily stop and think about what that success actually means and maybe what we have to compromise in order to achieve it.” - Dr Peter Olusoga

To what extent does Peter’s comment translate into the business space?

I have seen first-hand examples of grown men who are running on such low self-worth, despite having the outwardly facing ‘success’ of job title, big house, kids in private school etc, but they are a shell. They don’t see their wife, they are dropping kids at clubs every moment outside of work to keep up with the Jones’s.

I empathise as I have been there! That external chase is NEVER EVER enough! So whilst being a high performer can be exhilarating in any context, are you and we clear what the trade-offs are? And do we have an opportunity here to rebalance?

“You can’t reason people out of an argument that they weren’t reasoned into”

“You can’t reason people out of an argument that they weren’t reasoned into.” - Dr Peter Olusoga

This statement REALLY hit me! I had never heard before but it really struck me that if you are not open to changing your mind, or listening to a different perspective, what chance is there to have a reasoned debate?

As someone that is active in my local political community, this insight is super helpful, and it also explains why so much politics is actually driven by emotion, and not by logic.

How did Peter’s above comment land with you? Did it spark any reflections or clarity on your part?

A key reminder as you to go into your week:

Until next time

We hope that you join us in this exploration, and please do feed back and share with your networks if you are getting value.

Finally, if any of the above questions have ignited curiosity within you, I am here if you are looking for a 1-1 Thinking Partner that can be in your corner by voice note, virtually, and in-person, I have found 5 x 60 minutes calls + unlimited voice note communication to work the best.

If you are ready to embrace the journey towards a healthier relationship with yourself and those around you, and the goodness that brings, at home and at work, drop me a line at garry.turner@radicality.co.uk.

Episode #24 of the podcast will be published next Mon 30th March 2026 with spiritual guide, healer, and author, Trina Casey.

Here is a clip to whet your appetite in advance:

I am always interested in your reflections, challenges, and anything else that piques your curiosity with these updates.

Wishing you a safe, connected, and activated week ahead.

With love

Garry Turner

garry.turner@radicality.co.uk

Radicality.co.uk

+44 7928 979358