Damian Hughes, international speaker, bestselling author and co-host of the High Performance podcast, joins Culture de-cooded for a grounded, human exploration of what performance really rests on.
In conversation with Charlie Coode, Damian brings insights sharpened in some of the highest-pressure environments imaginable - from elite sport to global organisations - and translates them into practical lessons for leaders trying to build cultures that last. At the centre is a deceptively simple idea he’s tested across hundreds of conversations: high performance is doing the best you can, in the moment you’re in, with the resources you have.
In this episode, Damian traces how exceptional cultures are built through lived behaviour, not polished values. He reflects on formative experiences - from the Manchester boxing gym to work with England football, rugby union and rugby league - to show why people thrive when they feel seen, heard and valued. He unpacks the “say-do gap” and how leaders close it by making culture observable: clear standards, consistent choices, and small behaviours repeated until they become the way things are done.
Damian also explores why clarity and consistency create trust, especially under strain, and how micro-habits can stabilise performance when the pace is high and the stakes are real. Blending stories of leaders like Clive Woodward and Toto Wolff with research behind his latest book Microhabits, he makes the case that sustainable high performance isn’t heroic - it’s habitual.
With candour and humility, Damian reflects on the turning point in his own journey at Unilever that redirected him toward human performance and behavioural change. The result is an honest, practical conversation about leadership, culture, and the everyday conditions that help people do their best work - not once, but consistently.
Podcast Chapters
00:00:00 Welcome to the episode
00:01:33 Introducing Damian Hughes
00:02:12 What is high performance
00:03:36 Phil Neville’s definition
00:05:45 Growing up in a Manchester boxing gym
00:07:43 A culture where people feel seen, heard and loved
00:09:24 Are great cultures replicable
00:10:30 The Eleven Madison example
00:12:03 Culture and outcomes
00:13:42 What happens in the shadows
00:14:36 Turning values into behaviours
00:17:46 The say-do gap
00:19:50 Trust and behavioural consistency
00:22:24 Standards and non-negotiable behaviours
00:27:48 Transparency, consistency and hard calls
00:31:00 The leader’s self-mastery challenge
00:33:59 Behaviour as personality plus environment
00:41:08 The “Dickhead Test” and context
00:44:47 Psychological safety (SAFE)
00:48:36 Humility and the valley of humility
00:52:12 Lessons from Nims Purja
00:56:55 Damian’s journey from boxing to Unilever
01:02:11 The Durban boardroom moment
01:04:06 Working in elite sport and culture
01:05:36 Damian’s leadership journey in a song: Just Say Yes
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