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The 1% Podcast hosted by Shay Dalton
Re-release: Gary Keegan – A Masterclass in Performance Leadership
Today’s guest was a driving force behind previously unseen success for Irish teams and athletes on European, World and Olympic stages. Gary Keegan is the Founder and CEO of Uppercut, a High Performance Consultancy, with a unique advisory service that helps transform how individuals and organisations achieve high performance in sport, business and leadership.
Gary has spent most of his career immersed in high performance across a range of competitive business and sporting settings. He is also the former Director of the Irish Institute of Sport and former High Performance Director with the IABA’s High Performance Boxing Programme.
In this episode, we discuss his early life and how he got involved in the world of coaching. We talk about his general approach and attitude to performance, which has brought so much success to teams and athletes he has worked with, including the Dublin senior footballers and Tipperary Senior Hurlers. We also dive into the art of leadership, coaching models and the importance of mindset, character and teamwork.
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3. Think Better, Lead Better: Helena Boschi reveals the cognitive shortcuts and science-backed habits that power elite workplaces
58:35||Season 21, Ep. 3Dr Helena Boschi is an applied neuroscientist who has spent years exploring how the human brain works – and, crucially, how we can use that knowledge to improve leadership, decision-making, and the way we work. Helena is the author of Why We Do What We Do, a deep dive into the quirks, biases, and vulnerabilities of the human mind.Her business, Chequered Leopard, bridges the gap between cutting-edge neuroscience and real-world application, helping leaders and organisations harness brain science to create better workplace cultures, boost performance, and drive innovation. From the impact of stress on decision-making to the myths surrounding memory, attention, and creativity, Helena brings a wealth of insight into how our brains shape everything we do.2. Neuroscientist Dr Mithu Storoni’s Playbook For Optimising Brain Function – Boosting Mental Performance, Easing Stress, and Powering How We Live, Learn, and Create
01:05:26||Season 21, Ep. 2Dr. Mithu Storoni is a University of Cambridge-trained physician, neuroscience researcher, and ophthalmic surgeon. She advises multinational corporations on mental performance and stress management.Her latest book, ‘Hyperefficient: Simple Methods to Optimise Your Brain and Transform the Way You Work’, lays out the tools we need to retune our brains to their best settings for complex thinking, creativity, concentration, and decision-making. By proposing that we impose the rhythm of our brains on our work, Dr Storoni demonstrates how to create the perfect environment to thrive individually at work and at home.1. Turning Climate Anxiety Into Climate Action with Dr. Tara Shine
48:58||Season 21, Ep. 1Dr. Tara Shine is a climate change expert with over 20 years of experience in climate science, science communication, and policy. Her work has focused on shaping international and national policy to advance equity, gender equality, inclusion, and environmental protection.A seasoned scientific adviser, Tara has worked with a range of influential organisations, including the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, the OECD, The Elders, SIDA (Sweden’s development agency), the World Bank, Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Environmental Protection Agency.For a decade, Tara served as a climate negotiator at the United Nations and contributed as a reviewer to the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C. She is a guest lecturer on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across Irish universities and sits on the Board of Trustees of the International Institute for Environment and Development. She is also an alumna of Homeward Bound, the global leadership initiative for women in science.Tara holds a BSc in Environmental Science and a PhD in Geography from the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. Her work in research, policy, and education has spanned countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe.Season 20 Highlights: Jeremy Masding, Jerry Colonna, Suneel Gupta, Fuschia Sirois and Margaret Heffernan
25:42|That’s a wrap on Season 20 of The One Percent Podcast! You can now stream the full season on all major podcast platforms.To close things out, we’ve put together a special recap episode highlighting standout moments from the past season. This collection features insights and stories from remarkable leaders across industries, disciplines, and backgrounds.Here’s a glimpse of some of the incredible guests featured in this wrap-up episode:Jeremy Masding: former CEO of Permanent TSB and currently a Senior Adviser at Cerberus Capital Management, and the co-author of ‘Leading Without Winging It’Jerry Colonna: Certified professional coach and author, former American venture capitalistSuneel Gupta: Bestselling author, renowned speaker, Harvard Medical School visiting scholar, and host of an Amazon Prime documentary seriesFuschia Sirois: Professor of Social and Health Psychology at Durham University and a former Canada Research Chair in Health and Well-beingMargaret Heffernan: Professor of Practice at the University of Bath School of ManagementWe’re already deep in planning for Season 21 and would love to hear your thoughts, feedback, and suggestions. Thanks for being part of the journey!5. The Power of Uncertainty: Why Letting Go of Certainty Fuels Creativity and Success
01:02:51||Season 20, Ep. 5Margaret Heffernan is a pioneering business leader, author, and thinker who has transformed the way we approach leadership, innovation, and uncertainty. She began her career producing TV and radio for the BBC before going on to become CEO of several US companies. She was named one of the "Top 100 Media Executives" by The Hollywood Reporter.Margaret is currently a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath School of Management, and in 2023, she was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame for her enduring contribution to management thinking. She has authored several bestsellers, including A Bigger Prize, Uncharted, and Willful Blindness, which was recognised as one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times.In her writing, Margaret challenges conventional business wisdom and advocates for collaboration, creativity, and resilience in an unpredictable world. Her TED talks have garnered over fifteen million views globally, sparking discussions on why we ignore obvious risks and how small organisational changes can lead to profound results. Her new book, Embracing Uncertainty, will be published in March 2025.4. The Procrastination Paradox: Why We Wait and How to Change
50:49||Season 20, Ep. 4Fuschia Sirois, PhD, is a Professor of Social and Health Psychology at Durham University and a former Canada Research Chair in Health and Well-being. Her research focuses on understanding the psychological factors and qualities that influence risk or resilience for physical health and well-being outcomes through self-regulation and emotions.For over 20 years, she has studied the causes and consequences of procrastination, particularly its health effects, and how emotions play a key role in why people procrastinate. Her research also explores the role of positive psychology traits, states, and interventions in supporting self-regulation and enhancing health and well-being.She has authored over 120 peer-reviewed journal papers, presented over 200 conference papers, edited two books, and in 2022 released her first book, Procrastination: What It Is, Why It’s a Problem, and What You Can Do About It.3. The Work-Life Blueprint: Harnessing Purpose for Professional Growth with Suneel Gupta
31:11||Season 20, Ep. 3Once seen as the “Face of Failure” in the New York Times, Suneel Gupta understands that the road to success is not always smooth. Suneel learned from his mistakes and went on to become a founding CEO of RISE, a breakthrough wellness company named App of the Year by Apple, that partnered with First Lady Michelle Obama to deliver low-cost health coaching to people in need.Now a bestselling author, renowned speaker, Harvard Medical School visiting scholar, and host of an Amazon Prime documentary series, Suneel studies leaders around the world to discover and share simple, actionable habits that lift our performance and deepen our state of well-being.2. Radical Self-inquiry with Jerry Colonna
49:24||Season 20, Ep. 2Former American venture capitalist and once named a “Prince of New York” by New York Magazine, Jerry Colonna faced a profound depression that compelled him to confront his inner demons through what he calls “radical self-inquiry.” This transformative process led him to Buddhism and leadership coaching. Now a certified professional coach and author, Jerry leverages his diverse experiences to help clients design more conscious lives and make meaningful changes to their careers, enhancing both performance and satisfaction.He has been recognized on Upside magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People of the New Economy and Forbes’ list of the best VCs in the U.S. Jerry is the co-founder and CEO of Reboot, an executive coaching and leadership development company, and hosts the Reboot Podcast. His best-selling books, 2019’s Reboot and last year’s Reunion, delve into the process of radical self-inquiry and how we can become better leaders by becoming better people.1. Value-Driven Leadership: Insights from Former Permanent TSB CEO Jeremy Masding
57:38||Season 20, Ep. 1Jeremy Masding, former CEO of Permanent TSB and currently a Senior Adviser at Cerberus Capital Management, is the co-author, along with Emil Ivanov, of the book ‘Leading Without Winging It’. Drawing on decades of experience, Jeremy provides a practical guide to leadership and management. In their book, Masding and Ivanov present a system for running any company in a way that captures both 'hearts' and 'minds'. By using a logical approach based on both rational and emotional foundations, the authors offer senior leaders ways of working that are easy to understand and implement. Jeremy and Emil make a compelling case for focusing on value creation at every level of an organisation, offering pragmatic strategies to ensure full buy-in and successful implementation of this objective.