Recently, many of us had the privilege of attending a powerful presentation by Jeff Salzenstein, a former pro tennis player and high-performance coach. Jeff shared his incredible journey, revealing what it truly takes to perform under immense pressure, not just on the tennis court, but in life itself. From facing down Michael Chang at the US Open to overcoming career-threatening injuries and navigating profound personal growth, he has learned that true peak performance isn't about avoiding stress; it's about learning to thrive within it. It's about consciously choosing to "Own Your Zone."

Jeff's journey revealed a crucial truth: the fundamentals of elite performance, resilience, and well-being are universal. Whether you're a professional athlete, a seasoned CEO, or a rising leader, the principles that allow you to adapt, recover, and grow are the same. That's why he developed the "Own Your Zone" framework, designed to give us, as executive leaders, actionable strategies to transform stress into strength.

Let's dive into the three core principles that Jeff shared, which will empower us to master our mindset, body, and heart:

1. Restore the Body: Sleep Deep.

Jeff emphasized a counter-intuitive truth: to achieve more, we don't necessarily need to work more and sleep less. On the contrary, as a former athlete who trained alongside the best, he stressed that the most important part of the day is the night. Sleep, he explained, is the single most effective thing we can do to restore our body and brain health. He drew parallels to world-class performers like Novak Djokovic, who prioritize sleep as a non-negotiable part of their success. If elite athletes need it to operate at their peak, so do we.

He highlighted that when we are sleep-deprived, our cognitive functions decline, our emotional regulation suffers, and our capacity to handle stress diminishes. We simply cannot show up as our best selves. In his presentation, Jeff shared practical hacks to improve our sleep quality – from creating a dark, cool sleep environment to being mindful of late-night food and screen time. These aren't just suggestions; they are, as he put it, the bedrock of sustained high performance for any leader.

2. Rewire the Mind: Win with Words.

Jeff taught us that our thoughts are incredibly powerful; they literally create our reality. Yet, how often do we allow negative self-talk, complaining, and externalizing our fears to derail our progress? This internal chatter, he explained, is often the biggest obstacle to owning our zone.

He shared a profound personal lesson from his US Open match where a simple smile, a momentary break in focus, nearly cost him everything. That fleeting lapse in mental discipline can snowball. "Winning with words," as Jeff described it, is about proactively shifting our mindset. It's about eliminating self-defeating thoughts and replacing them with empowering affirmations. He often refers to "The Champion's Poem" not just as a collection of words, but as a blueprint for retraining our brains to focus on what we want to happen, not what we fear. Our internal dialogue shapes our perception, our decisions, and ultimately, our results. Learning to master it, he promised, will unlock incredible potential.

3. Reconnect the Heart: Sync the Heart.

Jeff explained that the longest journey we'll ever take is 18 inches—from our head to our heart. In the relentless pace of executive life, it's easy to get trapped in our heads, overthinking, overanalyzing, and disconnecting from our intuition and emotional core. However, connecting to our hearts as leaders, he demonstrated, fosters greater calmness, clarity, focus, and purpose.

The heart isn't just a pump; it's a powerful information processing center with an electromagnetic field stronger than the brain's. Techniques like heart-focused breathing, used by top CEOs and even Navy SEALs, allow us to regulate our emotions, expand our capacity to handle stress, and tap into a deeper wellspring of resilience. By syncing our heart, we learn to emotionally regulate in real-time, maintain vital energy, and make decisions from a place of centered strength. This isn't about being soft; it's about being strategically smart and powerfully effective.

The Path Forward: From Stress to Growth

Jeff made it clear: stress isn't going away. It's an inherent part of the leadership landscape. But we can make a conscious decision to slow down, reflect, and take the next best action. The choice, he reminded us, is always ours: will we allow stress to diminish us, or will we use these principles to adapt, grow, and truly thrive?

His journey has taught him that we are not defined by our past mistakes or our lineage. Today is a new day, and tomorrow is a new opportunity to create whatever change we want. He urged us not to be part of the 88% who don't apply what they learn. Instead, he encouraged us to take action, find an accountability partner, and commit to these fundamentals.

By consistently applying the "Own Your Zone" framework—Restoring our Body, Rewiring our Mind, and Reconnecting our Heart—we can expand our capacity to handle stress, adapt quickly through uncertainty, create lasting longevity, and ultimately, win big in life.

It's time for all of us to own our zone and be the best version of ourselves, personally and professionally. Let's grow together.

Want to dive deeper? Watch the full presentation to gain even more insights and practical techniques from Jeff Salzenstein!