Along with his years as an athlete, David Lindsay is a professional speaker, personal trainer, and international coach. He has competed in arm-wrestling, MMA (cage fighting), semi-pro rugby league, and other sports. He has also coached first-grade and international football players, Olympians, and medalists from the Commonwealth Games.
David was a born coach and a goal-oriented achiever, but he never really considered himself to be a leader until his wrestling coach told him to observe how the other team members, including some big, strong guys, listen to him and follow his lead.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and David Lindsay:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
I am a competitive guy, and in anything I do, I put my heart and soul into it. I have always been this way, from as early as I can remember. I was a little kid growing up, but I didn’t let that hold me back; in fact, it has helped me in so many ways. I started lifting weights at the age of 8 after I begged my parents to get me a weight set for my birthday. This competitive spirit has served me well as an athlete, coach, trainer, and in my speaking and business endeavors.
Describe your background and what did you do before you started/joined the company?
With my competitive nature, I played lower grades with South Sydney and won a championship with their under-17 team, but unfortunately, by the time I had turned 21 I had suffered 2 knee reconstructions that put me out of the game. I was still very strong, as arm wrestling has been my life, and was picked up by an arm wrestling coach to start training for that. I was actually on my way to the States to compete in a professional amateur wrestling tournament when I snapped my arm in Corfu, Greece. I had to fly straight back to Sydney and get a plate put in my arm, where unfortunately they hit a nerve and my arm became paralyzed. I thought my career as a personal trainer and athlete was over. But I kept plugging along, and eventually I got my movement back and started Wing Chun, BJJ, wrestling, and kickboxing and ultimately had a few cage fights. This was where I really got my life and business lessons, from wrestling and my wrestling coach
Tell us about the inception of the company. How did it all start?
Phenom Leap started during the first lockdown in 2020. I was speaking (my 5 Steps Towards Improved Vitality presentation) and coaching people with my 3 Pillars to High Performance when everything got shot down. I was approached by a few people I knew through speaking, and they suggested that instead of it being available only locally, why don’t I put it online and then market it to go globally? I had no idea about anything I.T.-related, but I did have my course and knew I could present it brilliantly on camera. Then we tweaked it to be designed for bigger companies to give to their middle management to give them the skills and systems to keep moving forward and upward into the future.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
It comes back again to my competitive nature. I have spent so much time working on my talk and course that I wouldn’t want to let my family down by quitting now. I have never been a quitter in my life, so why start now?
Which are the major services of the company and how do the company to get ahead in the competition? What value-added services does the company provide?
At Phenom Leap, we offer a few different packages. We have the straight-out keynote presentation, “5 Steps Towards Improved Vitality.” With everything we have been through over the past few years and what is happening currently, we need this in the business world. By using these steps, you will help raise morale, productivity, and profitability within your business.
We also offer the “3 Pillars to High Performance” 12-month hybrid course. There are a few different levels of interaction with this course depending on your budget, and we also offer consulting and coaching.
What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
I run a podcast talking to leaders from all around the world about the benefits of having a great company culture, and there are patterns that have emerged talking to these leaders. One is to make it more of a collaboration and not a dictatorship. People who are micromanaged are more likely to quit or do just enough to avoid being fired. A team that works well together and has input on the project is more willing to do more, stay longer, and be more productive.
What is the significance of innovative ideas in the company?
Innovation is what sets companies apart from their competitors. If you have the right people coming together, it is amazing what ideas they can come up with. It can start off with a simple conversation, but then one idea leads to another, then another, and before you know it, ideas pop up everywhere. Then it comes time to distill these ideas into some great possibilities.
Give us your opinion on; do organizations rely heavily on individual heroics or team processes?
If you want to be truly successful in the long run, teamwork is unbeatable. That doesn’t mean we stifle a person’s individual brilliance, which is also needed to get ahead. In sports teams, the star player, such as Michael Jordan, requires the support of his teammates. The scrapper like Dennis Rodman, the steady performer like Scotty Pippen. The team gets to keep the trophy at the end of the day.
What are your responsibilities as the Founder & CEO of the company? What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
I have a great team around me. But I still have to ensure the targets get hit. I like to think of myself more like the coach of the team and not the boss of the individual. This mindset sets me apart from other CEOs out there.
What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
I would advise anyone going into a leadership role to get a coach or a mentor. My wrestling coach has been the biggest influence in my adult life. He managed to show me the similarities of wrestling to business life, and he was walking the walk. If you find someone like that in your life, keep them in your life. Read plenty of books, I didn’t read until I was older, but I am glad I started, and surround yourself with other go-getters.
