Jez Rose joins Richard Reid on The Business of Thinking podcast to discuss his multifaceted career - from being a speaker and author to a ceramic artist and the first certified carbon neutral honey farmer. Jez explores the concept of "going all in" on life, which has been informed by personal experiences with loss and crisis. He delves into the psychology of high performance, arguing that the focus should shift from achieving it to sustaining high performance, which requires embracing self-reflection, pausing, and getting rid of the unnecessary - both physical objects and influences.

Key Takeaways

Sustaining High Performance is the Sweet Spot: High performance is achievable, but the real secret is sustaining it, which is much more difficult than the "easy route" of just pushing for more.

The Power of Pause and Reset: The most powerful notion is giving yourself permission to stop, press pause, and reset, allowing you to re-evaluate and remove what no longer serves you in both work and life.

Leadership is Psychology and Behavioural Science: Effective leadership is fundamentally about understanding the psychology of people, knowing what reinforces your team members' behaviour, and modeling vulnerability rather than pretending to have all the answers.

You Have Enough: A powerful realization is that you are enough and you have enough, which is a core Buddhist practice that can bring mental clarity and freedom by removing constant consumption and comparison.

Episode Highlights
Jez Rose's accidental journey into becoming the first certified carbon neutral honey farmer and how his environmental commitment aligns with the difficulty of "doing the right thing" in leadership and sustaining high performance.

How an experience as a critical care paramedic trainee informed Jez's philosophy of being "all in" on life because you are never guaranteed the next day.

The "Seasonal Change Model" which suggests that navigating change involves four phases that mirror nature's seasons, offering a way to identify where you are and what comes next.

The tragic common pattern in businesses where high-performing teams are exhausted because leaders keep pushing for "a bit more" without focusing on sustainability.

The story of a diabetic employee who received a massive hamper of chocolate as a "catch-all" award, illustrating a failure of leadership to know what truly motivates or reinforces an individual's behaviour.

The quote by Lao Tzu, "To hold, you must first open your hand, let go," and the immense trust required to let go of comfortable but unhappy situations in life.

Timestamps

00:49:03 Jez's upbringing and the discovery of Buddhism

00:00:51:09 Jez Rose's accidental honey farm and being carbon neutral

00:03:41:00 Why "going all in" on life is his philosophy

00:05:34:14 Transition to a speaker/trainer and working with Disney and Lloyd's Bank

00:06:43:03 Career as a professional magician and TV presenter

00:10:29:23 The power of pressing pause and a blank new page

00:15:46:12 The real tragedy of high performance and sustaining it

00:17:38:07 The importance of knowing what drives individual team members

00:22:28:03 Moving away from annual appraisals to monthly check-ins

00:23:50:19 The problem with "nonsense" values that can't be lived

00:27:20:14 The Seasonal Change Model for navigating life changes

00:28:28:08 How to start the change process: cutting back physical objects and influences

00:33:57:17 The quote: "you can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending"

00:36:19:12 Leaders an