JP Pawliw-Fry

When uncertainty rises, leaders instinctively retreat into risk aversion, slowing execution and stifling innovation. Drawing from proprietary research on 34,000 people (published in Harvard Business Review), Pawliw-Fry reveals the Last 8% gap—the measurable difference between risks leaders know they should take and those they actually take. He identifies the cultural barriers that slow 67% of teams and shows what the top 33% do differently: they design environments where people take smart risks, have critical conversations, and move at speed without losing control. Leaders gain practical tools to manage pressure, build psychological safety, and adopt the shared habits of elite performers.

Nobody performs better under pressure—pressure ruthlessly diminishes judgment, decision-making, attention, and execution. Based on research involving 12,000 individuals, this keynote reveals what the top 10% of performers do differently to excel when stakes are high. Pawliw-Fry shares tools tested with Olympic athletes, Navy SEALs, and Fortune 500 leaders to help audiences inoculate themselves against pressure's sabotaging effects, build their COTE of Armor (Confidence, Optimism, Tenacity, Enthusiasm), and turn pressure into a competitive advantage rather than a performance killer.

Fifty-two percent of employees who leave their jobs say their manager or organization could have prevented it—and in the three months before leaving, nobody asked how they felt. The cost of replacing one employee ranges from half to twice their annual salary, making leadership empathy a direct driver of retention and profitability. This keynote explores how emotional intelligence, not IQ or technical skill, determines whether teams are engaged, productive, and resilient. Leaders learn science-based skills to build trust, demonstrate empathy, and unlock the creativity and commitment of their people.

Most managers adequately cover the first 92% of what they want to communicate, then avoid the critical last 8%—the hard feedback, the uncomfortable truth, the bold challenge. What's missed is the information individuals and organizations need most to improve performance, innovate, and achieve ambitious goals. This session teaches leaders how to start Last 8% conversations, overcome the anxiety that stops them, build high psychological safety, and create environments where truth-telling and smart risk-taking become cultural norms rather than exceptions.

This hesitation creates significant challenges. The recipient is left uncertain about where they stand, increasing anxiety and preventing personal or professional growth. Worse, the lack of honest communication erodes psychological safety and emotional connection, which directly impacts performance.

The objective of this program is to equip participants with the tools and insights needed to manage emotions and confidently navigate the Last 8% of any feedback conversation. Fortunately, the science of giving and receiving feedback is accessible and teachable. It begins with understanding human behavior under pressure, mastering the brain’s response, and adopting practical techniques to deliver feedback in a way that can be heard and acted upon.

Key Takeaways from the Program:

- Understanding what the Last 8% is and why it holds the greatest potential for learning, growth, and performance improvement.
- Insights into how the brain reacts under pressure and how this reaction drives avoidance during difficult feedback conversations.
- Developing self-awareness to recognize habitual reactions to receiving feedback and how those reactions signal openness to others.
- Learning how to start a Last 8% feedback conversation to overcome the anxiety and perfectionism that often delay or derail these discussions.
- Building the skills to foster psychological safety, which is critical for innovation and high-performing teams.

This program empowers participants to tackle feedback conversations with confidence, creating an environment where people feel safe, valued, and motivated to excel.