Talk Topics

Managing Energy, Performing Under Stress, Community Resilience and more

I’ve burned out more times than I can count.

But through that (and writing here), I’ve learned strategies to manage my energy better, and started doing my talks to share what I’ve learned to help teams achieve their best, without burning out.

Here’s some of my topics:

Managing Energy for Peak Performance

I used to think focusing solely on training hard was the key to success.

But the turnaround at the Brumbies in 2012 and grand final run in 2013 taught me to “Prioritise the things that give me the energy to train hard”, over just training hard.

Things like nutrition, sleep, and prioritising them as a team was key to our success, and the main lesson I took away from my time in sport.

Plus I’ve learned it applies to office work just as much as on the field.

Performing Under Stress

I’m no expert on this. But rugby’s greatest team, the All Blacks, are.

How they shed their infamous “chokers” tag by learning to perform under pressure is a powerful example of overcoming mental barriers to perform at your best.

Especially when it matters most.

2007: The most famous All Black “choke”

Despite being overwhelming favourites heading into many World Cups, they kept losing high-pressure matches and earned the choker tag. And it wasn't until another heart-breaking loss to France in 2007, that they faced up to it.

They hired a mental skills coach to educate the players about what stress does to the mind and how to manage it, which helped them to win the next two World Cups.

The Connection between Well-Being and Performance

Peak performance is the result of good physical AND mental health.

In this topic, I share the latest research and strategies that highlight how investing in well-being leads to great outcomes.

I also share stories about my own experience with mental health, and how I’ve come to understand it as the ability to regulate my nervous system in a healthy way.

Identity and Performance

We all want to be proud of our work.

But tying your whole identity to what you do for work can set you up to fail, as I learned from losing to the British and Irish Lions in 2013.

Tough night at the office

I use to see myself as only “Ben the Rugby player”, which was fine when we were winning.

But because my entire identity was tied to Rugby, the loss was devastating and I never recovered.

A painful lesson to learn.

Overcoming Burnout

Pushing myself during my career and in retirement has taught me where my limits are.

And while burning out is painful, it can be a great teacher.

It’s made me more resilient, helped me spot the signs when I'm getting close to the edge earlier, and how to avoid falling off the cliff while still getting stuff done.

Community and Resilience

The growth of

Running for Resilience

has taught me that resilience is not just an individual mindset, but a collective character trait.

Freezing cold not stopping anyone

In this topic, I share how I've learned that true resilience is “the strength we draw from others” and comes from being socially connected. Not simply trudging on at all costs.

I'll write more about each topic here to refine my thoughts. But if you want to know more about my talks, check out my website www.benalexandertalks.com for more.

Thanks for reading!