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At just 18 years old, one week after receiving his A-level results, Stevie Ward found himself alone in a toilet cubicle at Wembley Stadium, minutes away from making his Challenge Cup debut in front of 80,000 fans.
Overwhelmed and questioning whether he was ready, a note was slipped under the door by his coach, Brian McDermott. That moment became a turning point. It revealed a powerful truth about high performance, resilience and leadership that would shape Stevie’s life on and off the rugby field.
Stevie went on to become one of British rugby league’s most respected leaders. He was the youngest ever Grand Final winner, a two-time Challenge Cup winner, a three-time Super League champion and was named captain of Leeds Rhinos at just 26. However, behind the success were years of physical and mental battles that few people saw.
Rather than allowing these experiences to define or defeat him, Stevie used them to deepen his understanding of leadership, vulnerability and team culture. His personal journey led him to launch Mantality, a movement dedicated to raising awareness around men’s mental health and helping create more psychologically safe environments in sport and business.
Since retiring from professional rugby in 2021, following ongoing concussion issues, Stevie has worked with organisations including Warner Bros. Discovery, the NHS and Southampton FC, helping leaders and teams strengthen resilience, improve teamwork, develop authentic leadership and build psychologically safe cultures. He is also a regular contributor on Sky Sports News, hosted the ground-breaking Concussion Roundtable and starred in his own documentary, Living with Concussion.
Stevie’s journey has taken him from sharing stages with Prince Harry, to appearing in a Boy George track and being roasted by Ricky Gervais, all before the age of 30. But at the heart of his story is a simple message: when teams prioritise psychological safety, resilience, leadership and genuine teamwork, true performance follows.
Stevie Ward reveals that authenticity is key to performance and fulfilment, even in challenging times. Based on his experiences as a coach and motivational speaker, he offers a game plan for teams and individuals to unlock their true potential and align with company goals.
Through his “3 C’s framework,” audiences will learn to cultivate context, connection, and choice to live authentically and achieve true performance.
This topic emphasizes creating a psychologically safe environment that balances well-being and performance. Drawing from his experience as a rugby league captain, Stevie shares practical strategies for fostering collaboration, instilling trust, and supporting team members’ physical and mental well-being. Attendees will learn key principles of effective leadership, such as the importance of genuine trust, communication, and empathy. They’ll discover how to create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas and concerns, fostering a culture of trust and reducing fear in critical moments.
Stevie Ward explores the two types of resilience essential for lasting success and fulfilment in personal and professional lives. Drawing from his experiences of overcoming numerous injuries and staying at the top, he shares insights into the physical and emotional aspects of toughness and their role in building a resilient mindset. Through inspiring stories and practical advice, audiences will learn to apply resilience in their lives, leaving them empowered and motivated to tackle any challenge.
Since 2016, Stevie Ward has advocated for mental health awareness and action, developing a framework for individuals and teams to take responsibility for their well-being. By creating a system and environment that addresses and celebrates mood and emotional health fluctuations, we can shatter the stigma around genuine feelings and excel. Gen Z and millennials expect caring and authentic environments, so we must cater to the world as it is and will be, not as it was.
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.
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.
