GMB - What led you to specialize in high-performance coaching for iGaming industry leaders? How does this choice reflect your experience in the industry?
Leo Judkins - After 12 years in the industry, I found myself at the height of my career, but at the bottom of my health. As the youngest director in the company who made rapid progress, I didn’t have the tools to perform at my best without sacrificing my health and wellbeing. So I found myself unfit, unhealthy and afraid I wouldn’t see my newborn son grow up.
It pushed me to take action, hire a coach and find ways to achieve sustainable high-performance. After losing 35kg and getting in the best shape of my life, it inspired me to help others in gaming do the same. To help them build the habits, behaviours and skills to sustain high performance despite the pressures of the industry.
So I certified as a nutritionist, sleep coach, stress management specialist and ultimately performance coach to help leaders in the overlap between performance and wellbeing.
Your new podcast addresses the balance between well-being and performance in iGaming. What insights can Brazilian leaders expect from these episodes?
I launched the program (iGamingLeader.com) with interviews with industry leaders, offering case studies and practical advice for professionals looking to excel in a fast-paced and challenging environment.
Given the regulators complexities and short timelines Brazilian iGaming Leaders face, podcast listeners can expect highly valuable insights from leaders on how to excel under pressure. Many of these leaders have been through similar situations in markets such as UK, Germany and the US, and so listeners can draw lessons from what has worked for our guests.
Each episode highlights the human side of what it takes to achieve sustainable high performance as an iGaming Leader, especially when under pressure. Listeners will gain insights on the successes and failures of these leaders, so they can draw their own path from it.
How can the combination of well-being and productivity benefit leaders in the iGaming market, especially in Brazil’s dynamic landscape?
With the upcoming regulation, Brazil is in a unique position. Rapid changes, short timelines, and the need to balance regulatory requirements with commercial initiatives put immense pressure on leaders. It will require long hours, hard work and tough decisions. Having a fully charged mental battery is key to performing at your peak and gaining a competitive edge over others who will not do the same.
What are the biggest challenges that iGaming leaders face today regarding stress management and sleep optimization? And how do you help overcome them?
The easiest thing to do is to deal with stress through unhealthy coping mechanisms, and to compromise on sleep to have a little more time in the day. However, both will instantly drain your energy and reduce your mental capacity. That means you’ll work slower, won’t solve problems as quickly, and deliver lower quality work. Those are consequences you cannot accept in the market as it is today.
Effectively dealing with stress and managing your energy (not just your time) are key to being able to have the resilience to bounce back from challenges quickly. Simple morning, daytime and evening routines that take 10-20 minutes are all you need to improve your sleep, recovery and stress for optimal performance.
With the growth of iGaming in Brazil, do you notice any cultural or regulatory particularities that affect the performance of leaders in the region?
The fast pace of regulatory developments in Brazil with the recent licensing requirements and deadlines, requires leaders to be able adapt quickly while still driving business growth.
The Brazilian cultural context of blurred work-life boundaries increases the risk of burnout. However, there are many stages before burnout where performance significantly drops, so leaders must be extra intentional about carving out time for recovery to perform at their best.
Having the ability to consistently perform at your peak despite the pressure will set leaders and entire businesses apart and will create the edge needed in a highly competitive market.
How does your experience of over 12 years in leadership positions influence your coaching strategies? Could you share any practical examples of success?
Having experienced the pressures of iGaming leadership myself, I bring a deep practical understanding to my coaching. For example, I've seen firsthand how the demanding timelines of a new market launch can lead to chronic overwork and rapidly declining health and performance, if people do not have the resilience or habits to sustain peak performance.
Personally, making time for daily movement and prioritizing nutrition was game-changing for my energy and focus as a leader. Blocking time, optimizing meetings, reducing distractions and being ruthless about focus and priroitisation have been pivotal to achieving more in less time.
I've worked with 200+ leaders who significantly reduced stress and improved strategic thinking by prioritizing their key initiatives and empowering their teams through strategic delegation. These experiences inform every coaching conversation we have.
What are the current trends in leadership coaching?
Current trends underpin the importance of wellbeing as the foundation for peak performance. It’s no longer about the hours we work. It’s about the quality we bring to every single one of those hours. No matter how long those days are. Because in the end, we are not paid for the time we work, but for the value we bring to that time.
There is now a strong realization that success in business depends on a leader's physical, mental, and emotional capacity to navigate complexity and inspire others. Next to managing your time, priorities, focus and team, the best leaders know peak performance requires emotional regulation, adaptability, and resilience.
Do you believe that the focus on mental health and well-being among iGaming leaders has been sufficient? What gaps still need to be filled?
Most leaders are at a very early stage of using their wellbeing as the foundation to peak performance. And that means they operate at perhaps 50-80% of their potential.
It's because wellbeing is often the first to be compromised in order to succeed short term. It's natural. And that why it requires habitual behaviour change to be able to fall back on your foundations to sustain peak performance. Similar to brushing your teeth or having a shower. You won’t stop doing that when you are under time pressure or a lot of stress. In fact, usually it feels like a welcome break and reset. Wellbeing habits are exactly the same.
Some key gaps I see are the lack of leaders role modelling these behaviours to begin with, not feeling psychologically safe to discuss wellbeing challenges openly, and working in environments that unintentionally undermine the healthy habits needed to perform.
What high-performance practices or methodologies do you recommend for Brazilian executives to deal with market pressure?
Optimizing sleep and recovery, rigorously managing time and priorities, establishing clear boundaries for focus and attention, developing autonomous and high-performance teams, delegating decisions, not just tasks, cultivating relationships with colleagues in similar positions who can offer support, working with a coach who understands the specific challenges you face.
How do you see Brazil's role in the global iGaming scenario and the importance of developing leaders who combine well-being and efficiency? ??Is there anything unique about leading in the Brazilian market?
As a leader in a rapidly growing iGaming market, Brazil has a unique opportunity to define what the future of the industry looks like.
By embedding sustainable high performance habits and prioritizing wellbeing as a leader, Brazil can create a more competitive, resilient and adaptable workforce.
The intense passion and excitement fueling the industry's growth in Brazil is a double-edged sword - it can lead to inspiring innovation, but also do the exact opposite when leaders do what's natural - comprise on their health and wellbeing.
The short timelines and evolving regulations in the Brazilian market require leaders who can adapt and innovate at an unprecedented pace. Prioritizing wellbeing will be key to effectively navigating these challenges and building a thriving industry for years to come.
More than that, leaders who prioritize wellbeing and lead by example create a ripple effect in their organization. They shape the culture of their teams and the entire market to perform better, while reducing burnout and mental health challenges. Leaders have an opportunity to show that wellbeing and peak performance are not opposites, but depend on each other.
Source: Exclusive GMB
