High Performance Leadership: Mindset, Rituals, and Business Strategies from Tony Robbins’ Four-Time Coach of the Year
In the latest episode of the All Things LOCS, the show where we dive into leadership, operations, culture, and strategies for growth, we sat down with Steve Gill, four-time Coach of the Year with Tony Robbins.
As a mentor to elite performers, trusted advisor to CEOs, and a leader who has helped business owners across industries break through performance plateaus, Steve’s journey from therapist to top-level coach is packed with lessons every leader can use.
In this conversation, Steve shares how to master your mindset, build high performance habits, strengthen organizational culture, and create operational systems that drive measurable business growth. Whether you’re running a healthcare practice, scaling a startup, or leading a global team, these insights are designed to help you lead with impact and achieve sustainable success.
This is more than just the habits of great leaders, morning routines, strategic initiatives, leadership styles and organizational success.
This is about building a growth mindset and discovering your roadmap to fulfillment.
The Shift from Therapy to Leadership Coaching
Before joining Tony Robbins’ elite coaching team, Steve worked for years as a therapist and counselor in addiction recovery, helping clients in treatment centers and rehabs.
The shift to coaching wasn’t just a career pivot. It was a change in direction:
“Therapy is connecting the dots looking back. Coaching is connecting the dots looking forward.”
While therapy focuses on understanding past experiences, leadership coaching is future-focused, results-driven, and designed to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be. For business leaders, that forward momentum is essential.
Inside the Tony Robbins Coaching Standard for High Performance
When you operate under the Tony Robbins brand, “good enough” doesn’t exist. Steve describes it as being on a rocket ship:
“Our brand is a no B.S., solution-focused, goal-oriented approach. It’s not for everyone; it’s for people who want to step up, elevate their life, and live outside their comfort zone.”
In this environment, a coach’s performance is measured by client results. Steve takes full ownership of both wins and setbacks:
“I’m responsible for my clients’ upside, and I’m also part of their downside. If they’re stuck, I take that personally.”
Leadership takeaway: Radical ownership creates a culture of accountability where results are non-negotiable.
When Therapy Works, and When Leadership Coaching Wins
Steve acknowledges that therapy has value, particularly for processing deep emotions and past trauma, but warns against staying stuck in an old narrative:
“The number one addiction a person has is their problems.”
In business leadership, that addiction can show up as rehashing the same challenges without taking action. Coaching interrupts that cycle by focusing on immediate, forward-moving solutions.
State Management: The Leadership Skill That Drives Success
Steve believes leadership success is 80% mindset and only 20% strategy:
“The quality of your life is determined by the quality of the state you live in and the decisions you make.”
Strategy – The how-to information you can learn from books, courses, or mentors.
Mindset – The psychology that determines whether you’ll actually apply that strategy.
Two leaders can have the same playbook, but their results depend on their emotional state and level of follow-through.
Leadership takeaway: Audit your emotional state daily. Without the right mindset, even the best strategies fail.
The Two Fears All Leaders Share
Top performers, from UFC fighters to Fortune 500 CEOs, share the same fears:
I’m not good enough.
If I’m not good enough, I won’t be loved or accepted.
The difference? Elite leaders build rituals and systems to reinforce their worthiness and capability, stacking wins that drive confidence and momentum.
Rituals and Routines: Leadership Habits for Peak Performance
Rituals are intentional, repeatable actions that trigger a desired state. Steve’s formula is simple:
Rituals + Routines = Peak Performance
“Peak performers don’t wake up that way. They have a system, and they follow it every day.”
Morning Rituals: Prime your mind and body for the day’s challenges.
Evening Rituals: Disconnect, recharge, and prepare for the next day.
Consistent routines remove decision fatigue, boost energy, and keep leaders aligned with their bigger mission.
Goal Setting for Executives: From Vision to Calendar
One reason leaders fail to achieve big goals? They never put them on the calendar.
Steve’s 3-step goal-setting method:
Set a clear, measurable result (e.g., “Increase client retention by 15% in 90 days”).
Identify your reasons — the pain of not achieving it and the reward of success.
Schedule it in specific time blocks on your calendar.
“What gets scheduled becomes real.”
The Value Chain: Business Operations for Long-Term Growth
Shifting from mindset to operations, Steve introduces the value chain, a visual map of how your business delivers value from start to finish.
“If you can’t point to the problem, you can’t fix it. Most business problems exist in someone’s head.”
By documenting each step, from lead generation to delivery, leaders can identify choke points, miscommunications, and inefficiencies. The result? Smoother operations, better customer experiences, and a team aligned around shared goals.
The Art of Fulfillment in Leadership
Success without fulfillment is failure in disguise.
“The grass isn’t greener on the other side; it’s greener where you water it.”
Achievement follows a science: strategy, repetition, and skill mastery. Fulfillment is an art: being present, appreciating what you have, and enjoying the journey. Leaders who neglect this balance risk burnout and disconnection.
Relationships: The Hidden Multiplier for Leadership Performance
Steve sees intimate relationships as either “heaven or hell, ”depending on how they’re nurtured:
“The thing you feed will grow. Period.”
Strong partnerships don’t just benefit your personal life. They amplify your leadership capacity. Seek to understand before being understood, and protect your energy both at work and at home.
Quick-Reference: Steve Gill’s Top Leadership Lessons
Take Radical Ownership – Results are your responsibility.
Master Your State – Mindset is 80% of success.
Build Empowering Rituals – Small, consistent actions shape outcomes.
Think in Results, Not Goals – Make them measurable and scheduled.
Map Your Value Chain – Eliminate inefficiencies and create raving fans.
Prioritize Fulfillment – Water the grass where you stand.
Invest in Relationships – The right partnership fuels growth.
Final Thoughts
Whether you run a healthcare clinic, a fast-growing startup, or a global enterprise, these principles are universal. Leadership isn’t just about knowing the right strategies — it’s about developing the mindset, rituals, and relationships to apply them consistently.
“Who you become in the process; no one can take that away from you.”
If you’re ready to elevate your leadership, improve organizational culture, and achieve sustainable business growth, start with these lessons, and watch your results multiply.
If you’re ready to master your state, sharpen your strategy, and lead with the confidence of a Tony Robbins-trained, four-time Coach of the Year in your corner, it’s time to take the first step.
📩 Connect with Steve today and start building the leadership capacity, operational clarity, and high-performance habits your business deserves.
Leadership Coaching & High Performance: Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is leadership coaching and how can it help my business?
Leadership coaching is a results-focused process that helps leaders improve their mindset, decision-making, and performance. Unlike general business training, leadership coaching works one-on-one to close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. Coaches like Steve Gill — Tony Robbins’ four-time Coach of the Year — focus on building high performance habits, improving organizational culture, and aligning teams for sustainable growth.
2. What’s the difference between therapy and leadership coaching?
Therapy often focuses on understanding past experiences to promote healing, while leadership coaching is future-focused and solution-driven. Steve Gill explains:
“Therapy is connecting the dots looking back. Coaching is connecting the dots looking forward.”
Leaders use coaching to set measurable goals, develop peak performance routines, and create actionable strategies for business success.
3. How can state management improve leadership performance?
State management is the practice of controlling your emotional and mental state to make better decisions. According to Steve Gill, mindset accounts for 80% of leadership success. By managing your state, you can improve focus, increase resilience, and inspire your team more effectively.
4. What are peak performance rituals for leaders?
Peak performance rituals are intentional daily actions that prepare you for high-level decision-making. Examples include:
Morning mindset priming
Scheduled time for strategic thinking
Evening reflection and recovery routines
Steve Gill’s formula — Rituals + Routines = Peak Performance — helps leaders maintain consistency and energy throughout the day.
5. How do I use the value chain to grow my business?
The value chain is a visual map of every step in your business process, from attracting a customer to delivering the product or service. By mapping it out, leaders can pinpoint inefficiencies, improve operations, and create a better customer experience — ultimately driving revenue growth.
