Storm-Proof™: 7½ Lessons in Courage, Clarity & Resilience Every Modern Leader Needs Right Now
The Ultimate Leadership Adventure: This is a live, immersive leadership masterclass - told by Ian Herbert-Jones himself - the solo sailor whose survival story gripped the world.
Why This Matters

Leadership isn’t about avoiding turbulence – it’s about learning how to steer through it. At Ascensio, we see resilience as a system, not a slogan. Pressure doesn’t just test leaders – it exposes how their people, culture, and decisions hold together when everything’s on the line.

 

The Golden Globe Race:

“The question is not what sort of person can do this – but what sort of mind is able to do this.”

 

Perfect For:
  • Leadership teams navigating high-stakes change, uncertainty, or pressure.
  • Organisations wanting to strengthen judgment, trust, and composure under fire.
  • Offsites or conferences that need depth, emotion, and a shared adrenaline hit.
  • Cultures ready to move from reactivity to resilience – and prove it under pressure
The Experience

This isn’t a keynote. It’s a full-sensory adventure told in real time – with your team as the crew. Your group will:

 

  • Hear Ian’s story, told in his own words.
  • See the storm unfold through exclusive footage and logs.
  • Face the same dilemmas – through live leadership challenges.
  • Decode every choice – guided by Masterology™ facilitators.
  • Leave with your own Storm Plan: practical tools to lead through volatility, pressure, and change.
The 7½ Lessons

Each lesson starts with a real moment at sea – and ends with your team solving its leadership equivalent.

 

  1. Purpose Under Pressure – Choosing your adventure and committing fully.
  2. Prepared, Not Perfect – Building resilience and risk-proofing decisions.
  3. Motivation in the Monotony – Leading when the horizon never changes.
  4. Decisions in the Dark – Judgement under fear, fatigue, and incomplete data.
  5. Owning Mistakes Out Loud – Radical honesty and trust-building.
  6. Let Go & Pivot – Sacrifice, priorities, and strategic loss.
  7. Your Ripple Effect – The sometimes invisible impact your leadership has on those around you.
  • ½ Lesson: What Storm Are You Sailing Into? – a co-created finale applying insights to your world.
Why It Works
  • Real master. Real stakes.
    Ian’s decisions meant survival. The parallels for your leaders are immediate.
  • Emotion meets action.
    Storytelling hooks the heart; live challenge activates the brain.
  • Masterology™ integration.
    Leadership insights decoded through the MASTER(Y) Map – linking ocean-tested wisdom to practical leadership habits.
  • Systemic resilience.
    Teams learn to spot the patterns behind pressure and steer with greater awareness.
What Your Team Gains
  • Sharper decision-making under ambiguity and pressure.
  • Resilience strategies that actually work under stress.
  • Stronger collaboration and trust through shared challenge.
  • Practical storm-planning tools for real-world application.
Formats

Choose the format that fits your context – each one delivers the same impact, story, and stretch, tailored to your environment and goals.

 

  • Full-Day Immersion:
    The complete 7½-lesson experience – story, live decision challenges, facilitated debriefs, and a team Storm Plan™ to take away.
  • Half-Day Intensive:
    A fast-paced, high-energy version designed for offsites or conferences – the full emotional punch of the storm, condensed into 3.5 hours of challenge and clarity.
  • Keynote Experience:
    Bring Ian Herbert-Jones’ story to your stage. A 60–90 minute immersive keynote blending first-hand footage, storytelling, and interactive moments that connect ocean-tested lessons to the realities of modern leadership.

All formats can be tailored to align with your organisation’s priorities and leadership frameworks.

 

“This wasn’t a leadership talk – it was an experience. The story, the emotion, the decisions under pressure – it made our leaders rethink how they show up when things get tough.” 

Storm-Proof™: 7½ Lessons in Courage, Clarity & Resilience
Enquire About Bringing Storm-Proof™ to Your Organisation