In this episode of The Huddle Leadership Podcast, host Kate Russell welcomes Dr. Ben Robbins, high-performance psychologist at Essendon Football Club, who shares his remarkable transformation from AFL player to mental health advocate, revealing how elite sports psychology principles can revolutionise leadership and performance in any high-pressure environment.

Key Takeaways

• Mental training is as crucial as physical training - Just like lifting weights builds muscle, practising pressure management builds psychological resilience
• Present-moment focus prevents performance breakdowns - Getting stuck on mistakes takes you away from what needs to happen next
• Emotional regulation requires deliberate practice - Moving past perceived injustices quickly is essential when the game (or business) keeps moving
• Attention control is a trainable skill - In our distracted world, knowing where to direct your focus is a competitive advantage
• Curiosity beats criticism for performance improvement - Asking "what happened?" instead of self-blame leads to better solutions
• Feedback culture accelerates team development - Elite sports environments excel at continuous improvement through constant, constructive feedback
• Connection builds trust and team performance - When team members know each other deeply, they anticipate and support each other better
• Young people adapt faster to feedback-rich environments - 18-year-old athletes often handle performance reviews better than seasoned executives
• Whose opinion matters most - Filtering external noise by focusing only on feedback from people who truly matter to your success
• Psychological support isn't weakness, it's performance optimisation - High performers need safe spaces to process pressure and maintain mental health

Episode Timeline

00:00 Introduction to high-performance psychology and Ben's background

01:52 A day in the life of a sports psychologist at AFL level

05:05 Managing pressure and performance: mental training fundamentals

09:07 Emotional regulation techniques for high-stakes environments

12:01 Coping with rejection: being dropped and career transitions

14:03 Mental health challenges and social media impact on young athletes

15:57 Building team dynamics, trust, and connection in competitive environments

20:01 Feedback culture: why sports teams excel where corporate teams struggle

24:03 Transferring sports psychology principles to corporate and blue-collar settings

27:00 Attention control and emotional regulation techniques for everyday application

Featured Discussion Dr. Robbins reveals the stark contrast between his playing days (zero psychological support in 10 years) and modern AFL environments where mental health and performance coaching are integral. He explains how elite athletes train their minds, such as muscles, and develop skills in pressure management, emotional regulation, and attention control that directly translate to corporate leadership. His work extends beyond sport into high-risk industries where focus and concentration can be matters of life and death, demonstrating the universal application of sports psychology principles.

Quotable Moments

• "You go into the gym, you lift weights, you get stronger... If we want to improve our ability to manage pressure, the inevitable pressure, manage adversity... You cannot get bogged down in a mistake because it takes you away from what has to happen next."
• "It's a skill to focus and pay attention. So it's got to be trained... we call it attention control, shifting your attention from wherever it is to where you want it to be."
• "Everyone's vying for your attention. That's the currency of sort of the modern world: attention. And so, where's yours going? Who's getting it? Do you want that thing to get it?"
• "Sometimes you just need somebody to talk to. Who's not gonna judge you? And so that's honestly a very big part of my role."
• "It's more than a bit lonely at times... Sometimes you just need somebody to talk to."
• "The team lives and dies by it, really" - on the power of feedback culture in high-performance environments

This episode offers invaluable insights for any leader operating under pressure, from managing emotional responses during critical decisions to building resilient, connected teams. Dr. Robbins' unique perspective - having experienced both sides as player and psychologist - provides listeners with proven strategies for mental performance optimisation that extend far beyond the sporting arena into every aspect of leadership and high performance.

Connect with Dr. Ben Robbins

• Essendon Football Club
• High Performance Psychology Consulting
• LinkedIn

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