The Hidden Advantage Driving Innovation, Retention, and Resilience
Beyond the Comfort Zone: How to Think, Adapt, and Perform in the Unknown
Can be a keynote, workshop or fire side chat
Pressure doesn’t show up when things are clear.
It shows up when expectations are high, information is incomplete, and the outcome matters.
In those moments, most people default to what feels safe. They hesitate, overthink, and stay inside familiar patterns—even when those patterns are no longer effective.
That instinct doesn’t protect performance.
It limits it.
In Courage Under Pressure, Jessica Rector explores what actually happens when people are pushed beyond the comfort zone—drawing from research on stress, performance, and adaptability, along with firsthand experience stepping into situations where there was no clear plan and no option to play it safe. From driving a NASCAR at 160 miles per hour, to choosing to live without shelter for 24 hours, to moving to a foreign country without knowing a single person, these experiences became real-world tests of how courage operates under pressure.
Choosing Courage Over Comfort
How Adversity builds braver leaders and resilient teams
What research and lived experience reveal is unexpected: under the right conditions, pressure doesn’t break people—it sharpens them. Focus heightens. Problem-solving accelerates. Resourcefulness expands. People don’t just rise to the challenge—they often exceed their own expectations.
This keynote shows how courage under pressure activates a different way of thinking—one that allows people to adapt, make decisions, and perform when certainty is missing and the stakes are real.
Because greatness isn’t unlocked in comfort.
It’s released when people learn how to move through pressure instead of shrinking from it.
And courage is the #1 skill that makes that possible, igniting unlimited possibilities.
Learning Objectives
Build a Courage driven Culture
Establish daily micro-practices that increase courageous behaviors, resulting in higher engagement, productivity, and team alignment
Lead with Boldness and transparency
Equip leaders to model courageous conversations, reward smart risk-taking, and use failure to accelerate learning and speed
Turn Setbacks into forward momentum
Strengthen resilience by using purposeful discomfort to move teams forward—faster and stronger after challenges
Confidently Navigate Uncertainty
Build the capability to lead and decide when there’s no roadmap, no guarantees, and no perfect timing
Respond with Courage, Not Reactivity
Practice staying grounded in difficult moments to build trust, clarity, and forward progress instead of tension
navigate courage under pressure
Establish repeatable behaviors that help people access courage in high-stakes moments—when pressure is real and comfort isn’t an option
SayYes !
to a Speaker Who Will
Transform Your Event
Jessica doesn’t just speak. She shifts energy, reignites potential, and helps people rediscover their resilience.
If you want an event that stays with people long after the closing slide, this is your moment to say yes.
If you want an event that stays with people long after the closing slide, this is your moment to say yes.