Why high performance doesn't have to come at a high personal cost
Reflections on leadership, Rituals, and sustainable performance
Leadership doesn't just happen in the big moments: it is defined, and refined, by the small, repeated choices we make every day.
In this short Q&A, John Bessey reflects on the moments that shaped his approach to leadership – from early experiences in technology to the personal shifts that led him to build consistent, human-centred Rituals into the way he works.
Q: Tell me about your career journey and how you developed your approach to leadership?
A: My career has always felt like being part of a sports team. Whether I was a team captain or member, I saw striking parallels between sports and business – both are about working together, developing people, and driving towards collective success. I started in the tech industry almost accidentally when I was seventeen, photocopying documents after finishing school with no qualifications. I loved working in the industry as I realised that it attracts incredibly talented people.
Q: How did the concept of "rituals" emerge in your leadership approach?
A: The real transformation happened when I had children. Suddenly, my chaotic work style (living on Coca-Cola and Mars bars, working around the clock…) wasn't sustainable. I needed a system that allowed me to be present for my family while maintaining high performance. That's when I started developing consistent rituals across four key areas: Personal, people development, strategic planning, and customer relationships. I only though about applying rituals in the true sense to health once I started writing the book. Since then, it's become a personal passion.
Q: What's been the most surprising insight from developing these leadership rituals?
A: Two things surprised me most. First, people are desperately seeking more vision and human-centric approaches in business. When we started discussing "unicorn" visions, people latched onto that immediately. Second, I realised how destructive those random, unstructured gaps in my diary were – moving from meeting to meeting without proper preparation or presence.
Q: How have these Rituals impacted your team's performance?
A: The most significant change Rituals have made for me has been in how I develop people. I've worked with hundreds of employees, and almost everyone struggles with overwhelming workloads. By helping people simplify their focus and providing practical Ritual models, we've seen dramatic improvements, not just in performance but, more importantly, in the connection people feel to the work they do.
Q: What advice would you give to leaders wanting to implement similar approaches?
A: Start simple. You don't need to adopt every Ritual at once. Choose two or three that resonate with you and your team. The goal is to create consistent, meaningful practices that drive performance without burning people out. High performance doesn't have to come at a high personal cost.
For the wider story behind the book, and the thinking that shaped it, read our full behind-the-scenes Q&A here.