Mark Wales
Ex-Special Operations Major, Author & Speaker
Mark knows what it takes to lead with clarity, adapt under pressure and execute when the stakes are highest. Drawing on real-world combat leadership and elite business experience, Mark delivers powerful keynotes that translate the principles of military performance into practical tools for leaders and teams. His presentations challenge audiences to stay mission-focussed, transform quickly and perform at their best — even in the most demanding conditions.
Quick Contact
As a former special operations commander, Mark is used to operating in dynamic, high stress situations where personal and team performance means the difference between life and death.
The same challenges are found in competition: the need to lead yourself and teams well, to stay mission-focussed, and to transform quickly when needed. In his motivating and engaging keynotes, Mark shares his experiences in leading combat units, and transforming world-class businesses to provide insights on high performance pillars.
Mark’s mastery of the fundamentals of resilience, transformation and execution can help your team triumph in any competition.
Mark is a former McKinsey & Company consultant and has an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.
Hear how Mark was able to use his experience leading an elite special forces team in combat to drive decision making and personal performance.
Mark focusses on practical tips you can apply from Day one to promote high performance in teams and individuals, and Q&A after the presentation allows the audience to explore topics in more detail with Mark.
Video
Topics
Elite Leadership
- Mark believes that leadership can be taught, and the aim of this keynote is to outline the fundamentals of elite leadership
- Mark draws on his experience at the top levels of business and Special Operations to show you that the basics done well, are the foundations of mission success
- Any endeavour requires applying the basics of mission focus, a supportive team, and self-care
- Self-care fundamentals such as rest, nutrition, exercise and growth are the basics needed for elite performance.
- Mark draws from neurobiology and uses personal examples to illustrate a proven approach to prevention, recovery and growth
- Outlines the importance of simplicity, focus and agility in planning to achieve mission success
Duration: 60 minutes, including 15 minutes discussion / Q&A
Self-Care for Leaders
- Mark addresses increasing demands and pressures on team leaders and how self-care is critical to elite performance, mental health and thriving under pressure
- Mark discusses team mission, team norms and personal boundaries needed for optimal performance
- Addressing overwhelm and learning how to triage tasks in a high pressure environment
- ‘Leading in chaos’ tips. Mark uses an example of a failed combat mission in Afghanistan to outline the importance of simplicity, focus and agility in planning
Workshop
Pre-mortems: Stress testing for success & resilience
- The aim of this series is to show the pre-mortem framework for stress testing initiatives to increase chances of mission success
- Perfect for an annual kick-off, launching a project, or forming a new team
- This workshop promotes collaboration, candour and removes bias, all while building better plans
- Focused on skills and mindsets needed to lead teams under extreme uncertainty, in a highly interactive environment.
- Using examples from Special Operations, startups, and McKinsey & Company, Mark focuses on tactical tips you can use from Day 1 to improve your chances of a win in your new project or team
Duration: 90 minutes, with an optional 60-minute follow-up
