The High-Performance Mindset of Elite Athletes with Leaders from the NBA, MLB, and Elite Endurance Sports
A Podcast About Leadership · 2026-02-05 · 1h 0m
Episode notes
What separates good performers from truly elite ones, and why do some teams suddenly turn things around while others stay stuck? According to leaders working at the highest levels of professional sport, the answer is not just talent, technique, or effort. It is mindset, decision-making, recovery, and the often invisible dynamics that shape how people perform under pressure. On this episode of A Podcast About Leadership, AIIR Consulting CEO Dr. Jonathan Kirshner is joined by three world-class performance experts operating at the intersection of sport, psychology, and leadership: Simon Rice , Vice President of Athlete Care for the Philadelphia 76ers; Holly Benner , elite ultramarathoner; and Lindsay Shaw , Director of Sport Psychology for the Cleveland Guardians. Together, they offer a rare, inside look at how elite performance is built, sustained, and recovered when things go off track. Drawing from professional basketball, Major League Baseball, endurance sport, and executive coaching, the conversation explores why excellence is less about pushing harder and more about aligning people, culture, and decision-making over time.