In the latest episode of Innovation Insider, I had the privilege of sitting down with Olly Bridge, an expert in Sustainable Peak Performance. With a career spanning Formula 1 athletes, Olympic gymnasts, and high-performing corporate teams at BMW, Medibank, and several start-ups, Olly’s approach to blending wellbeing, performance, and innovation offers powerful insights for business leaders.
For innovation leaders—who are often caught up in the demands of driving new ideas, managing large teams, and delivering results—the connection between wellbeing and sustainable innovation is critical. What makes Olly’s perspective so compelling is his ability to link the simplicity and consistency found in elite sports to the challenges faced in corporate environments. As Olly puts it, the same principles that help athletes thrive can help businesses innovate more effectively.
The Power of Simplicity in Innovation
One of the key themes that emerged in our conversation was the power of keeping things simple. In both sport and business, Olly explains, there’s a tendency to overcomplicate processes—whether it’s designing a training program for athletes or leading a corporate innovation project.
“Simplicity and consistency are the keys to sustainable innovation,” Olly said. “Athletes get better when they focus on the inputs—doing the simple things consistently. The same goes for businesses trying to innovate.”
Leaders in charge of innovation are often pulled in many directions, managing multiple stakeholders and navigating complexity. Olly highlighted how scope creep can derail innovation initiatives in corporates, turning a simple idea into a resource-heavy project. The focus should be on starting small, mastering the basics, and ensuring that the approach is consistent. By keeping innovation simple and achievable, leaders can prevent unnecessary complications and maintain momentum.
Barriers to Innovation in Corporates
When I asked Olly what prevents large organisations from embracing simplicity, he pointed out that many corporates struggle with clarity of purpose. Without a clear endpoint, innovation projects tend to drift, and the original goals become muddled.
“One of the biggest barriers to innovation is not having a clear endpoint,” Olly explained. “Businesses need to know exactly what they’re trying to achieve and set simple, measurable steps to get there. It’s also about being agile—being willing to change course when the market shifts or new information comes to light.”
Olly also emphasised that today’s modern working environments are often out of sync with our human needs. He compared this misalignment to a polar bear in the Sahara Desert—illustrating how unnatural our current work setups are compared to what humans have evolved to thrive in. Long hours, artificial lighting, and sedentary desk work put stress on both our minds and bodies, creating environments that are counterproductive to sustainable performance and innovation.
By simplifying processes and creating workspaces that align more with natural human rhythms, leaders can help their teams perform better, adapt faster, and focus on delivering impactful results.
The Three-Legged Stool: A Model for Sustainable Peak Performance
Olly’s three-legged stool model offers an essential framework for leaders balancing high performance with innovation. According to Olly, peak performance—whether in sport or business—is built on three pillars: physical activity, nutrition, and recovery.
“Just like a three-legged stool needs all its legs to stand, we need all three of these elements to stay balanced and perform at our best,” he said.
For innovation leaders working in high-pressure environments, the same balance applies. The demands of driving innovation, managing teams, and keeping up with the pace of change can lead to burnout if recovery is neglected. Olly emphasised that innovation and performance thrive when stress is managed and balanced with appropriate recovery.
Motion and Emotion: The Link Between Physical Activity and Mental Clarity
One of the most memorable insights from our conversation was Olly’s reminder that “emotion is 90% motion”. He explained how intertwined physical health and emotional wellbeing are, and how a simple act like standing up from your desk or taking a short walk can dramatically improve mental clarity and focus.
“Innovation requires fresh thinking and problem-solving,” Olly pointed out. “Breaking up seated time throughout the day can help reset your mind and allow new ideas to come forward.”
For leaders working long hours and juggling multiple projects, taking time to move and break up routine can be key to maintaining creative problem-solving and sustaining innovation. Olly’s advice? Take regular short breaks, go for walks, and reconnect with nature. These actions may seem small, but they have a powerful impact on focus, creativity, and overall performance.
Innovation Through Wellbeing: A Strategic Advantage
In an era where businesses are pushing for faster results, many leaders are realising that wellbeing is a strategic advantage. We closed our conversation by discussing the future of wellbeing in the workplace and how it can drive innovation. Olly is excited about the increased availability of personal health data through wearables like the Oura ring, which provide actionable insights into how well you’re recovering, your sleep patterns, and how to adjust your performance accordingly.
“Simplifying the noise and focusing on the signal is critical,” Olly said. “We’re drowning in data, but thirsty for insight. It’s never been more important to understand what that data is telling us so we can make better decisions—both for ourselves and for our teams.”
Incorporating wellbeing into corporate innovation strategies is more than a nice-to-have; it’s a must if leaders want to create sustainable innovation ecosystems. Leaders who make time for their own health and prioritise their teams’ wellbeing will not only see better performance but also unlock higher levels of innovation and creativity.
Final Thoughts
In my conversation with Olly, his message was clear: simplicity, consistency, and balance are the foundations for both personal and organisational success. By applying the principles of peak performance to corporate innovation, business leaders can create environments where both innovation and wellbeing thrive.
Olly’s three-legged stool model, combined with his mantra that “emotion is 90% motion”, offers a roadmap for leaders looking to maintain performance while driving new ideas. And as innovation leaders face increasing pressure to deliver, the balance between stress and recovery will be crucial in sustaining their teams’ creativity and productivity over the long term.
If you’re interested in learning more about Olly’s work or connecting with him, you can find him on LinkedIn or explore his businesses, Essentio Health and Build a Bridge, where he helps leaders and teams achieve sustainable peak performance through practical, science-based strategies.
Stay tuned for more insights from thought leaders on Innovation Insider, and as always, feel free to share your thoughts or reach out if you’d like to be part of the conversation.