What if a single question could transform how your team works? Olympic gold medallist Ben Hunt-Davis shares how the philosophy behind “Will it Make the Boat Go Faster?” can help leaders and teams align, focus, and perform at their best, in sport, business, and beyond.
About the Guest
Ben Hunt-Davis MBE is an Olympic gold medal-winning rower from Sydney 2000 and co-author of the bestselling book Will it Make the Boat Go Faster?. Following his sporting career, Ben co-founded a leadership performance consultancy that helps organisations build clarity, alignment, and high-performing cultures. In this conversation, he shares lessons from his rowing turnaround story, how to foster a people-first performance mindset, and why being kind and high-challenge are not mutually exclusive.
This Episode Covers
The turning point: how a painful 7th-place finish led to radical change and team transformation
Performance vs. results: why you should focus on what’s within your control
Alignment over assumption: building shared goals and buy-in across teams
Culture that counts: a high-performance environment means high challenge and high support
Kindness ≠ softness: how tough conversations and feedback build trust and progress
From sport to business: translating elite habits into sustainable leadership practices
Lessons in accountability: learning to own outcomes and support others in change
The danger of boiling it down: why “Will it Make the Boat Go Faster?” isn’t about working faster — it’s about working smarter
Planning for the next season: why now is the time to reset goals and rally your team
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