Damian Hughes, High-Performance Speaker and Bestselling Author

December 2, 2025

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In this conversation, Charlie Coode speaks with Damian Hughes, international speaker, bestselling author and co-host of the High Performance podcast.

In this episode of Culture de-cooded, Damian explores the central question he has asked across more than 500 conversations with leaders, athletes and creatives: what really defines high performance culture? His guiding insight is simple and inclusive. High performance is doing the best you can, in the moment you’re in, with the resources you have.

Digging Down

Drawing on stories from his upbringing in the Manchester boxing gym, his work across England football, rugby union and rugby league, as well as interviews and research that underpin ⁠Microhabits⁠, Damian explains why exceptional cultures are those where people feel seen, heard and loved. In particular, he reveals how leaders close the say-do gap by replacing abstract values with lived, observable behaviours.

Damian also explores why clarity, consistency and trust matter, while additionally revealing how standards are formed, and why personal reflection sits at the heart of sustainable leadership. For example, through examples ranging from Clive Woodward to Toto Wolff and insights gathered from 20 years working inside high-pressure environments, he shows how small, practical habits become the foundation of performance.

The Transition to High-Performance Culture Change

Finally, Damian reflects on his own journey, including what the turning point was at Unilever that pushed him toward dedicating his career to human performance, culture and behavioural change. At the same time, he shares the experiences and lessons that shaped his perspective on leadership and development. Ultimately, it is an honest, practical and deeply human conversation about what it takes to build environments where people can truly thrive.

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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