EP 1272
1272. The $500 Billion Secret: Why Top Leaders Chase Stress | Sébastien Page
In this episode of The Human Upgrade, Dave Asprey sits down with Sébastien Page—Chief Investment Officer of a $500 billion fund—to explore a radical idea: stress isn’t the enemy of success… it’s the engine.
Together, they unpack how the world’s top leaders, athletes, and innovators use stress to amplify focus, drive, and resilience, even in the most high-stakes environments. From sports psychology and brain science to corporate leadership and procrastination, this conversation reveals the mental frameworks that turn pressure into power.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, burnt out, or stuck in analysis paralysis—this episode will flip your mindset and show you how to make stress your greatest competitive advantage.
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In this Episode of The Human Upgrade™...
Most people run from stress. The world’s highest performers run toward it.
Sébastien Page manages over $500 billion in global assets. He’s the CIO of one of the world’s largest investment firms, and he wrote The Psychology of Leadership while living under relentless pressure. His secret? He doesn’t avoid stress—he uses it as a tool for performance, clarity, and control.
But here’s the twist: this isn’t just about boardrooms or billion-dollar trades.
Whether you’re running a company, chasing a deadline, or just trying to stop procrastinating on your goals—this conversation will flip what you think you know about pressure, performance, and productivity.
You’ll learn why trying to “relax your way to success” doesn’t work—and how to harness discomfort to create better decisions, higher output, and more resilience in every part of life.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The psychology of stress and why zero stress leads to burnout
- How procrastination can boostcreative performance
- What astronauts, athletes, and leaders have in common
- Why the key to better decisions is strategic patience, not speed
- The stress-performance curve no one taught you in school
- Why losing is the real path to mastery (and what Roger Federer can teach you)
- The difference between being nicevs. being kind—and why it matters
It’s time to start turning stress into strategy.
SPONSORS
-fatty15 | Go to https://fatty15.com/dave and save an extra $15 when you subscribe with code DAVE.
-BodyHealth | Go to https://bodyhealth.com/ and use code DAVE20 for 20% off your first order of PerfectAmino.
“Optimal performance does not happen at zero stress.”
Sébastien Page
- 00:00Intro
Dave sets the stage for a conversation that flips leadership on its head.
- 02:00Book Launch & Setup
Sébastien explains why he wrote The Psychology of Leadership—and how stress shaped it.
- 02:45Buy or Sell? Market Insights
Why this was the worst week to ask, and what to do instead of panicking.
- 03:20Stress and Performance
The surprising truth: zero stress leads to failure, not clarity.
- 04:28Sports Psychology Breakdown
From Japanese mice to peak activation curves—stress science decoded.
- 09:48Federer & the Power of Losing
Why even the greatest only win 54% of points—and what that teaches us about success.
- 26:42Rethinking Feedback
How asking for feedback reduces stress and builds stronger teams.
- 31:32Stress as a Tool
Sébastien shares how he reframes pressure into fuel—on and off the trading floor.
- 44:10Listening as Leadership
Why listening—not talking—is the real superpower at the top.
- 44:17Traits of Great Leaders
Why the best leaders are patient, disagreeable, and totally counterintuitive.
- 44:54Psychology for Entrepreneurs
How stress psychology applies whether you run a startup or a global fund.
- 45:37Leading Beyond Work
Leadership isn’t just at the office—how it shows up in families and relationships.
- 46:09Sleep Tracking Anxiety
When self-optimization turns into self-sabotage—and how to stop it.
- 47:39Channeling Stress
How Dave handles extreme input without reactive burnout.
- 49:04Extreme Pressure Moments
Free-falling from space and what it teaches us about stress tolerance.
- 50:42The Corporate Athlete
Why sleep, diet, and recovery are non-negotiable for high output.
- 59:08Vulnerability & Leadership
How showing weakness (strategically) builds trust and loyalty.
- 01:05:23Goal-Induced Blindness
When big goals backfire—and how to avoid chasing the wrong metrics.
- 01:12:34Finding Meaning at Work
The link between purpose, resilience, and sustainable leadership.
- 01:18:08Leadership at Home
Why your family deserves your best leadership—without the burnout.
- 01:20:27Final Takeaways
Sébastien wraps with insights on culture, kindness, and living well under pressure.
Resources:
- Dave Asprey’s New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/
- Sébastien’s New Book –The Psychology of Leadership– https://www.psychologyofleadership.net/
- 2025 Biohacking Conference: https://biohackingconference.com/2025
- Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com
- Dave Asprey’s Website: https://daveasprey.com
- Dave Asprey’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/daveasprey
- Upgrade Collective – Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com
- Own an Upgrade Labs: https://ownanupgradelabs.com
- Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com
- 40 Years of Zen – Neurofeedback Training for Advanced Cognitive Enhancement: https://40yearsofzen.com
Enjoy the show!
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