Ant Williams: Transforming Pressure Performance Through Extreme Testing
In this episode of The Wisdom Of... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Ant Williams, a business psychologist and world champion freediver who bridges academic knowledge with extreme athletic experience to revolutionize performance under pressure. Ant shares how his decision to test pressure performance theories at the limits of human survival created a systematic methodology that transforms high-stakes business performance. Discover the T-minus framework for peak performance, the power of deliberate identity switching, and why "leaning into discomfort" unlocks breakthrough results when everything is on the line.
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Episode Breakdown
00:00 Introduction and Ant's unique combination of business psychology and world-class freediving
08:15 The decision to test pressure performance theories through extreme experience
16:42 From coaching risk-takers to becoming a world record holder himself
25:33 The T-minus framework and systematic approach to high-pressure situations
34:18 The deliberate identity switch: Accessing hidden mental and physical resources
43:27 How to "lean into discomfort" and transform pressure into competitive advantage
51:44 Business applications of extreme performance psychology for executive leadership
58:19 Why peak performance requires systematic preparation, not just hope
About Ant Williams
Ant Williams is a business psychologist and world champion freediver who draws on his academic knowledge and elite athletic experience to teach leaders mental toughness. Ant helps leaders build courage, perform under pressure and achieve their aspirations.
Wanting to understand if anyone could learn to become a risk-taker, Ant decided to take up freediving and learn firsthand how to perform under pressure. He has set a world record for being the deepest man under ice, holds his breath for over eight minutes, dives to 100m depths, and swims 240m on a single breath. Ant stars in the Apple TV documentary "Ice Dive."
Ant brings these intense learnings to executive education, helping clients boost leadership capability, develop new service delivery models, innovate in mature markets, improve sales effectiveness and develop impactful consulting skills.
Connect with Ant Williams:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ant-williams-leadership/
Website: https://modusleadership.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freediveguy/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antwilliams.freediver/
About Simon Bowen
Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organizations, recognizing that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organizations.
Connect with Simon
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/
Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/
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