Optimist Performance

From Great to World-Class: Leading with Optimism & Performance

“If you want to overcome adversity and be a winner, this is a great place to start!”

An inspirational presenter on leadership – he gives invaluable insights from his leading teams in the most challenging environments in the world and the world of sport, all applied with tremendous perception to the world of business. Highly informative, entertaining and insightful.

Highly memorable and a lot of fun. The away day was time well invested in the development of yourself, the members of your team and your business.

Was great to have a session offsite, and the environment was amazing! Good to engage with colleagues in a different habitat which leads to different conversations and insights.

My coach has been great. His holistic approach has ensured that I see how all aspects of my life are affected by each other and helped me identify how I can pull those together to perform at my best.

Exceptional event experience with Optimist Performance. The team is fantastic to work with. Great communication, passionate about what they do and excellent event delivery. Top class events! Thank you!

Executive coaching ensures my long-term goals are front and centre of my thinking. The sessions refocus my mind away from the day-to-day to ensure that I put all my actions into the context of what I want to achieve.

A brilliantly insightful session on leadership from those who have been there and done it. A must-have session for any organisation wanting to support current and future leaders.

Amazing mental journey to understand what kind of person and leader you are. The seminar is almost like ‘guided meditation (leadership)’ and was very retrospective and interesting!

Great connections and candour. The chance to challenge and reflect on how we are as a team and a company, and to be assured that we are all in this together.

Our Approach: From Insight to Impact 

We’re Optimist Performance. We help individuals, teams, and organisations go from great to world-class—through high-impact experiences, elite leadership, and optimistic transformation.

Why We Exist

Founded in 2014, our mission has always been to unlock full potential. We believe:

  • Everyone can achieve anything.

  • Organisations flourish with learning, growth, and connection.

  • Shared experiences create enduring change.

What Makes Our Approach Different?

  • Tailored to your culture – no off-the-shelf content; we design every experience around your values, goals, and people.

  • Evidence-based – drawing on research in leadership, psychology, and performance science.

  • Energy and engagement – high-participation experiences that bring learning to life.

  • Sustainable change – tools, follow-up, and ongoing support to maintain momentum

    Whether it’s leadership development, executive coaching, or team experiences, our approach transforms more than just skills—it transforms mindsets, relationships, and performance.

    Lets Start Your Journey

Ollie Phillips

Meet the Founder – Ollie Phillips

Ollie Phillips is the Founder and CEO of Optimist Performance.

After retiring from professional rugby, Ollie took on life-changing challenges that deepened his understanding of leadership, team-building, and managing change under adversity. His time at PwC reinforced how these intangibles can drive business success and create a winning culture.

Driven by his passion for high-performance, Ollie founded Optimist Performance to help businesses and teams exceed their potential through transformative leadership and team development.

Start your transformation

latest Insights

AI: A Call to Evolve, Not Compete By Optimist Performance

AI: A Call to Evolve, Not Compete By Optimist Performance

At Optimist Performance, we believe that future leadership isn’t about resisting change but embracing it. The rapid rise of AI isn’t something to fear—it’s something to leverage. AI is already shaping the way we work, learn, and connect. But don’t panic - this change...

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