In this episode of The Leadership Download, hosts Travis and Cameron welcome leadership coach, author, and Olympic rugby coach Pete Steinberg to the show. Pete shares transformative insights from his new book, Leadership Shock, and opens up about his journey—from failing out of a PhD program and being a “mediocre” rugby player, to coaching elite teams on the world stage, including the Rio Olympics.

Through stories of coaching the U.S. Women’s National Rugby Team and navigating high-performance environments, Pete reveals how leadership shock—the moment when leaders feel they're doing all the right things but having no real impact—affects more people than we think. He explains the difference between stress and shock, the importance of intentional leadership, and how empowering others is often the key to thriving in complex environments.

This conversation is packed with wisdom on:

• Leading without control and embracing co-creation
• Why intentionality is the antidote to leadership shock
• How feedback and reflection fuel elite performance
• Making time to think, not just do
• Why leadership isn't about outcomes, but about development

Whether you're a business executive, coach, or team leader, this episode offers real, actionable insights for reclaiming clarity, purpose, and performance.

📘 Grab Pete’s book, Leadership Shock, for practical tools and a powerful leadership fable to help you break through overwhelm and rediscover your impact.

FOLLOW THE LEADERSHIP DOWNLOAD PODCAST ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theleadershipdownloadpodcast

Instagram: https://instagram.com/theleadershipdownloadpodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-leadership-download-podcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.