SPEAKER Profile: Stevie WARD
Speaking topics::
(1) Feels Like Team Spirit (2) Elite Performance (3) The Authenticity Game Plan (4) Leading with safety
Stevie is a former professional rugby player and part of the golden generation at the Leeds Rhinos, one of the most successful teams in super league history. Stevie became the youngest grand final winner ever, going on to win two more Grand Finals and 2 Challenge Cups, and was named captain at just 26.
Amongst the highs, Stevie endured ten operations and several mental health struggles. This adversity inspired Stevie to launch Mantality in 2016 to promote mental health for men through counselling, coaching, and a stigma-breaking podcast. Founding a company at 22 took Stevie around the world, collaborating with some of the biggest travel brands and the biggest figures in performance and health and wellness.
A brain injury forced Stevie to step away from his prime in his rugby career; however, this made way for a career as an international keynote speaker and leadership consultant working with organisations such as Warner Brothers, Manchester United, the NHS and Arup Engineering.
How does Stevie do it?
In a world driven towards high performance, Stevie asks whether we are all going the wrong way. Through his lived experiences in one of the toughest sports that there is, Stevie believes we should be asking about what we can we let go of, not what can we control and measure. As a player who won trophies from late surges through the playoffs in the super league and a grand final 6 days after a dislocated shoulder, Stevie believes that the route of vulnerability, psychological safety and courage has to be the underpinning of any team that wants to achieve what is deemed to be the impossible.
Stevie shares his deeply self reflective lessons to life through vivid storytelling and shatters the stigma around expressing how we truly feel so that we can re discover the highest levels of performance.
Stevie continues to be a thought leader around mental health and concussion in the sports, regularly presenting with Sky Sports challenging the norm for player welfare .Stevie coaches individuals and delivers motivational sessions for teams all aiming to be their very best at then highest level.
Testimonials
“Thank you for such a powerful and engaging session! I particularly enjoyed the mix of vulnerability, energy and fun throughout, it made your message feel very human and safe. This session was a great way to bring resilience and psychological safety to life, and give people practical tools going forward.”
Kathy Marshall
Warner Brothers
“What is really noticeable is that how the freedom to be vulnerable and be yourself really resonated as did your style and how you presented subjects that aren’t really spoken about in the police – you really made people think and definitely will have changed some viewpoints for the better.”
Mike Russell
Super Intendant, Greater Manchester Police
“The strength of the bond established was rapid; in 25 years of participating in team building events funded by big budgets at the likes of Microsoft, Amazon and Accenture I have never witnessed such a rapid impact and return for time invested.
James Morgan
Managing Director
Accenture UK
“Excellent delivery. Powerful story and as a public speaker, your skill in pace, pauses, outcomes and creating genuine thought provoking points was incredible.”
Anonymous leader
Greater Manchester Police National Retention conference