Learn how to meet any challenge with Courage, Confidence, and Readiness!
Work, family, relationships—life is demanding. A high-stress situation, or being on the X where all the pressures converge, could be right around the corner. How will you confront it? Your ability to succeed in stressful and challenging situations and seize opportunities depends on how you show up to face these moments. When you’re up against obstacles, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed and underprepared. But the battles you face are won when you prepare for life on the X.
Life on the X shares strategies used by the world’s highest performers. In this guide, you will discover tactics that elite athletes, military special operators, and successful business leaders use to thrive under pressure and deliver world-class results.
You can triumph when you are deliberate in how you prepare for, execute, and assess your actions in the most important moments in your life. By learning the skills and methods of top-performers, you can meet the X with courage and confidence.
Are you ready to bring your A game to life?
In the SEAL Teams, the X refers to the most critical and dangerous point of the operation; fast roping from a helicopter onto the rooftop of an enemy building, a coordinated attack on an enemy compound, or operating deep behind enemy lines. This is the point of NO RETURN where a SEAL must be at their best.
No matter where and no matter the circumstance, it’s critical that SEALs perform at their best “on the X” in each of these moments.
While in the boardroom instead of the battlefield it may not be life or death, but there are still critical moments where the pressure is on, and we absolutely need to bring our A-game.
When the stakes are this high, we must be focused, resilient, and well prepared.
As the Co-Creator of The U.S. Navy Warrior Toughness program, Stephen teaches how the same techniques used by the Navy & SEALs, elite athletes, and top-performing CEOs operators can be applied to leading & developing high-performance teams in business as well as by individuals in their personal and professional lives.
In this presentation, Stephen shares proven performance psychology techniques and training methods used by the world’s most elite performers and shows how it can easily be applied to any high-pressure business situation or personal event. Each presentation will be customized around the audience’s specific goals and challenges
After you learn to perform on the X, you and your teams will not only learn to face challenge and adversity with courage and resilience, but you’ll also learn concrete methods that will allow for: Increased Employee Engagement, Stronger Collaboration, High-Performance Under Pressure, Agility, Stress Management, Increased EQ, Proven Preparation and Rehearsal Methods for Important Events, Proven Team and Individual Lessons Learned Framework, Adaptability & Change Management
Takeaways
Powerful and Engaging Stories told with Humor and Relatability
As a retired Navy SEAL senior leader with 27-years of service, Stephen Drum has had the honor of training, leading, and serving with some of the highest performing teams on the planet.
In this program the audience will receive concrete takeaways while the emphasis is on entertaining through powerful storytelling and audience engagement.
Stephen will lead the audience through a roller coaster ride that captures the intensity of SEAL training and combat deployments, the emotions of service and commitment, all while delivered with humor and relatability.
During the session, Steve really enjoys providing the fun that comes from audience interaction and engagement with Q&A sessions.
Perform on the X Workshop
Customized Deep Dive Workshop (75 minutes – 4 hours)
Session outcomes:
Learn the framework process for preparing and executing in high-stakes or challenging situations which include: Commit, Prepare, Execute and Reflect
Learn critical stress management techniques for successfully responding to stressors in professional AND personal settings
Discuss goal planning and execution strategies for prioritizing and performing in a fluid and stressful environment.
Learn and perform mindfulness and performance psychology skills for increased resilience and focus during stressful periods and situations.
Sample Workshop Format:
Opening story and Commit content
Purpose and personal philosophy
Objectives and goals
Obstacle forecasting
What are some potential obstacles to our success? Daily and long-term
Story and Prepare content
Performance Psychology skills
Skill development practical
Recalibrate-breathing exercise/Breathing habit training
Story and Execute content
Situational Awareness
Variable Focus
Agility/Flexibility
Scenario Discussion on above content
Story and Reflect content
Your process for: Assess, Analyze, Reflect
Giving and receiving feedback
Body Scan or Progressive muscle relaxation exercise
Closing Comments and wrap-up
Stephen Drum is a renowned leadership and peak performance expert whose 27-year career as a Navy SEAL Master Chief forms the foundation of his powerful and practical approach to developing world-class leaders. Having served on multiple high-stakes special operations missions, Stephen has firsthand experience leading teams in volatile, complex environments where clarity, communication, trust, and mental toughness determine success.
Throughout his distinguished military service, Stephen built a reputation for his ability to guide teams through uncertainty, maintain discipline under pressure, and execute with precision. Today, he brings those lessons to the corporate world, helping organizations strengthen their culture, enhance performance, and build leaders capable of thriving in demanding conditions.
Stephen’s methodology is rooted in the SEAL principles of accountability, preparation, team cohesion, and decisive action.
Stephen Drum is a highly regarded leadership and peak performance speaker, renowned for his extraordinary career as a Navy SEAL Master Chief with 27 years of combat-tested experience. As a distinguished figure in leadership development, Drum brings unparalleled expertise and insights to organizations and individuals seeking to excel in high-pressure environments.
His transformative approach to leadership, grounded in his military background and real-world experiences, makes him a sought-after speaker for those looking to elevate their performance and achieve excellence.
Stephen Drum’s impressive career as a Navy SEAL Master Chief provides a unique foundation for his leadership and peak performance teachings. His 27 years of service included numerous high-stakes missions that demanded not only tactical expertise but also exceptional leadership skills.
Drum’s ability to lead under pressure, make strategic decisions in volatile situations, and inspire his team to achieve mission success has translated seamlessly into his work with organizations worldwide. His experiences in special operations have equipped him with insights into building resilient teams, fostering effective communication, and driving performance in the face of adversity.
Drum’s leadership philosophy centers on the principles of discipline, accountability, and mental toughness. He emphasizes the importance of cultivating a high-performance mindset, drawing from his extensive experience in overcoming challenges and executing complex missions.
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