- Olympic performance strategist who supported gold medal-winning teams
- Trained by Professor Steve Peters (The Chimp Paradox) and UK Special Forces leaders
- Clients include global organisations such as IBM, LinkedIn, L’Oréal, and Specsavers
Dean Leak is an Olympic performance strategist and international keynote speaker who teaches leaders how to turn tensions into competitive advantages through his Disagreeing Well System™.
Dean has worked with Olympic gold medal winning teams, Commanding Officers in the British Army, and senior government advisors. His clients include IBM, LinkedIn, L'Oréal, Baker McKenzie, Specsavers, and Air New Zealand. Trained by Professor Steve Peters, UK Special Forces leaders, and a leading hostage negotiator, he brings insights from elite sport, military operations, and FTSE 100 boardrooms.
Dean helps organisations build cultures where people challenge thinking and work through discomfort without damaging trust. His approach combines performance science, behavioural psychology, and practical leadership tools to enable courageous conversation and effective decision-making. Rather than teaching teams to avoid disagreement, Dean shows how to design conflict that drives momentum. This shift transforms high pressure situations from breaking points into breakthroughs, creating environments where innovation and accountability flourish.
Audiences learn how to speak up constructively in high-stakes situations, navigate difficult conversations that strengthen rather than fracture relationships, and build psychological safety that supports both challenge and cohesion. Dean delivers practical frameworks that move teams from avoidance to alignment and from politeness to measurable progress.
Book Dean to equip your organisation with the skills that separate teams who manage conflict from those who harness it.
Dean's showreel and videos
Topics, sessions and talks
How To Navigate The Emotional Jet Lag Of Change
In this talk, Dean Leak addresses the rapid pace of change that leads to "Emotional Jet Lag" within organisations, highlighting the disconnect between organisational shifts and human adaptation. He emphasises the importance of emotional regulation in high-pressure situations and the need for both psychological safety and accountability to thrive. Attendees will learn how to foster courageous conversations that cultivate adaptable teams capable of delivering sustained excellence, even in challenging environments.
Inside Gold Medal Winning Olympic Teams
In this insightful talk, Dean Leak explores the common traits of the world’s elite teams, emphasising that culture, not just talent, drives success. He discusses how mindset training enhances performance and how pressure tests a team's culture. Attendees will discover that a balance of challenge and support fosters excellence, transforming individuals into a cohesive, adaptable team capable of sustained performance under pressure. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to cultivate a high-performing team culture.
How To Train Your Mental Fitness
Dean Leak draws on his experiences with Olympians and British Army Commanding Officers to illustrate how to cultivate mental resilience under pressure. He shares that mental fitness is developed, not innate, and that resilience must be established before challenges arise. Attendees will learn techniques to regulate emotions and lead effectively in high-pressure situations, as well as the importance of training the mind just as one would train any other skill.
Why Imposter Syndrome Is Your Superpower
In this session, Dean Leak reveals how imposter syndrome can be transformed into a powerful asset for career success. He shares insights from his own experiences, emphasising that self-doubt signals growth and should be viewed as data rather than danger. Attendees will learn to reframe fear into focus and understand that confidence stems from taking action despite uncertainty. This session will empower participants to leverage their doubts as a catalyst for professional development.
In his talk, Dean Leak highlights the importance of conflict readiness over conflict resolution. He explores the five powers of disagreement that transform conflict avoidance into a performance-driven culture. Attendees will discover how high-performing teams embrace conflict, the value of constructive challenges, and how healthy friction fosters innovation, trust, and accountability. By the end of the session, participants will learn to harness productive disagreement to drive momentum and enhance team performance.
Why we recommend booking Dean
Book Dean Leak to empower your team with proven strategies that turn workplace tension into a powerful driver for innovation and trust. Secure your spot now to transform conflict into your organisation’s competitive edge.
100% the most powerful workshop I've ever attended.
Mohsin Hanif
Director, PwC
I have attended many team workshops in my 20+ years and with my hand on my heart I have never found any of them as powerful and effective as your session today.
Your talk was brilliant. Really stayed with me. Was great to chat afterwards too. Thanks again for taking the time to speak to us, both before and after.
