High-performing teams handle pressure differently. They think more clearly, stay calmer, and make better choices. Preparation separates them from the rest.
Most teams hope their talented people will rise to the occasion. High performers prepare for it beforehand. They talk through decisions. They build frameworks. They practice them. The right speaker can help with this. Someone who’s worked with teams that perform under pressure—Olympic athletes, military units, executives—can teach your team the same frameworks that work.
Carey Lohrenz: fighter pilot decision-making expert
As the first female F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy, Lohrenz learned what actually matters when you need to decide fast and think clearly. Combat decisions have immediate consequences. You don’t get a second chance to recalculate. That teaches you what frameworks work under real pressure.
She teaches business leaders the decision-making systems that work when stakes are highest. Her approach: clarify what you can control, decide your decision criteria beforehand, then execute with confidence. For leadership teams making high-stakes decisions, her experience comes from environments where good judgment directly impacts outcomes.
Explore Carey Lohrenz’s speaker profile to see her full expertise areas and availability.
Dan Thurmon: acrobatics and physical performance under pressure
Thurmon teaches that performance requires both mental and physical conditioning. He uses acrobatics and movement to show teams how confidence and presence work under pressure. His insight: your body knows how to perform when you trust it. When stress narrows your thinking, your physical presence becomes what carries you through.
For teams that need to show up with composure and command attention, his framework teaches how to access presence intentionally. He’s been inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame and served as president of the National Speakers Association. That’s credibility from someone who’s studied peak performance at the highest level.
Check Dan Thurmon’s speaker profile for his full topics and speaking options.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee: overcoming systemic barriers and peak performance
Sports Illustrated named Joyner-Kersee the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century. Six Olympic medals. A heptathlon world record that still stands. Beyond training, success came from identifying the barriers, whether external constraints or internal beliefs, and systematically working through them.
She teaches organizations how to overcome obstacles that stand between teams and peak performance. Her framework focuses on clarity about what’s actually holding you back and concrete steps to move forward. For organizations facing real barriers, her approach offers tangible ways to think differently about what’s possible.
Explore Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s speaking profile to discuss event fit and availability.
Raymont Harris: controllable factors and systems thinking
A former NFL running back, Harris spent eight seasons in professional football. What he learned: high performers concentrate on their systems and execution, not circumstances. They build strong processes for what’s in their control and don’t waste energy on the rest.
He’s founded Elite Mindset & Performance and spent 15 years in leadership roles at Ohio State working with athletes, coaches, and executives. He authored “Control the Controllables: Mindset, Pressure, and the Power of Control,” which teaches this framework in concrete terms. For competitive teams facing unpredictable conditions, his approach shifts how they allocate attention and energy.
Check Raymont Harris’s speaker profile for his full expertise and event options.
David Epstein: diverse thinking and complex decision-making
Epstein’s research, published in his New York Times bestseller “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World,” shows something counter-intuitive: diverse thinking and broad perspective often improve decision-making under pressure, especially with complex problems. High performers succeed because they see patterns others miss.
He’s delivered two TED talks with over 12 million views, hosted the “How To!” podcast, and authored multiple bestsellers. For leadership teams facing multifaceted challenges, his approach teaches how to draw on unexpected connections and unconventional thinking. His credibility comes from research, not theory.
Explore David Epstein’s speaker profile for his full speaking topics and availability.
Rebecca Heiss: stress physiology and working with fear
Heiss is a stress physiologist whose research the National Science Foundation designated as “transformative.” She studies how stress and fear affect the body and mind. Her Fear[less] framework teaches teams to work with fear rather than against it. Instead of trying to eliminate fear, high performers learn to understand what it does physiologically and use that activation strategically.
She founded icueity, served as an educator, and is a charter school founding member. For organizations preparing for high-stakes moments, her science-backed approach gives teams practical tools grounded in actual neuroscience, not just mindset coaching.
Check Rebecca Heiss’s speaker profile to explore her full expertise and speaking options.
Dr. Kevin Elko: attitude as a trainable skill
Elko holds a PhD from West Virginia University and completed an internship at the U.S. Olympic Committee. He’s been a performance consultant for five NFL teams, including the Steelers, Cowboys, Eagles, Dolphins, and Saints, plus seven BCS National Championship college football teams. He’s also worked with Fortune 500 companies including Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch.
His core teaching: attitude is trainable. It’s a muscle you can strengthen, not something fixed from birth. The beliefs your team holds when pressure hits shape how they perform. Strengthen those beliefs beforehand, and performance follows. He’s authored seven books, including “Nerves of Steel” and “True Greatness.”
Explore Dr. Kevin Elko’s speaker profile for his full topics and event fit.
Jamil Qureshi: translating elite performance into organizational systems
Qureshi has worked with elite athletes across professional golf, cricket, and motorsports, along with NASA astronauts. He was an official psychologist for the European Ryder Cup team and worked with multiple top-50 golfers and Ryder Cup captains. He supported the 2009 England Ashes-winning cricket team and worked with F1 drivers and English Premiership football players. The Daily Mirror ranked him among the top 100 coaches globally.
His specialty is translating frameworks used by the world’s highest performers into systems organizations can actually implement. For teams serious about preparing for high stakes, his expertise bridges elite performance psychology and practical business application grounded in real competition.
Check Jamil Qureshi’s speaker profile to explore his full speaking options and availability.
What they have in common
These eight speakers all share something fundamental: they’ve worked directly with high performers. Olympic athletes. Professional athletes. Military units. Fortune 500 executives. They all teach frameworks, not motivation. They focus on what’s trainable—decision-making under pressure, psychological resilience, clear thinking, systems that hold when stakes are highest.
Performance under pressure tends to be about preparation, not talent alone. And they teach what preparation actually looks like, in concrete, actionable ways.
How to choose your performance expert for your event
When you’re planning an event for a team that faces high-pressure moments, speaker selection becomes strategic. Start with your actual needs, not credentials alone. Think about this: What are your team’s pressure points? What frameworks would help them think differently? Which speaker has worked with teams like yours?
Look at fit. Does this speaker’s approach align with your culture? Have they customized for organizations in your industry? The best events happen when the speaker’s expertise addresses your team’s actual needs, not just generic challenges.
Think about impact in a specific way. Not “Did people like the speaker?” but “Does our team think differently about these moments now?” Will they apply what they learned after the event? Can they practice these frameworks together?
What matters most
High-performing organizations understand this: the events you host matter. They’re moments where your team can prepare for what actually matters. When you bring in someone who’s trained high performers and teaches frameworks that work, your event becomes a place where your team builds real capability.
Preparation for pressure is trainable. You can build it. The question isn’t whether your team can improve. It’s whether you’re ready to help them prepare. Browse our peak performance speakers to find the right expert for your event.
