The SAS Mindset: Keep Going When Everyone Else Stops | Billy Billingham

The High Performance Podcast

High Performance

Sports, Self-improvement, Mindset, Growth Mindset, Health & Fitness, Non-negotiables, Education, Life Lessons, High Performance

4.8 • 4.7K Ratings

🗓️ 12 November 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Pre-order our brand new book Micro-Habits and use code MICROHABITS26 for 25% off before the launch on 1st January. https://hppod.co/472Og7q

There’s a difference between being tough and being strong, and Billy Billingham knows it better than most.

As a former SAS soldier, Billy has faced war zones, exhaustion, and moments most of us can barely imagine. But when you strip it all back, his greatest lesson isn’t about combat, it’s about control and why the ultimate habit you need is discipline and the drive to go a little bit further.

In this episode, we explore how discipline, humility, and calm under chaos have shaped every chapter of Billy’s life. From a teenage turning point after being stabbed to leading the world's most elite military forces and protecting some of Hollywood’s most high-profile stars, he’s learned that strength isn’t about aggression, it’s about staying grounded when everything around you isn’t.

Together, we unpack:

Why discipline matters more than motivation
How to stay calm when pressure peaks
What “controlled aggression” really means
The difference between fear and focus
Why true leadership starts with humility

Billy’s new book ‘Further - 10 lessons the SAS taught me about life’ is out now.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Here at first on the high performance app, available early, Zach Brown, the McLaren boss on leading at the edge of racing.
0:09.4	Welcome to the essential habits of high performance, where we explore the mindsets and daily practices that help us lead better lives.
0:18.5	Today, we're joined by Billy Billingham. Billy is one of the most decorated
0:22.7	and respected soldiers in the British military. His journey began with a life-changing turning point
0:28.3	when a moment of violence pushed him away from gang warfare and towards a career of discipline
0:33.6	and service. After a career in the parachute regiment, he spent 20 years in the
0:41.0	SAS, achieving the rank of Sergeant Major and serving as a personal bodyguard to Hollywood superstars.
0:48.2	He's now at chief instructor on the TV show, SAS, Who Dairs Wins. What's most powerful about Billy's career isn't just the
0:56.4	combat of the medals, but the small daily habits that allowed him to remain calm under pressure,
1:02.4	focused when he needed to be, and decisive in the world's most extreme environment.
1:08.1	As you'll hear, these aren't just lessons for elite military personnel. They are
1:12.9	profound strategies you can apply it to your own life, such as learning how to be calm and chaos,
1:17.9	seeing leadership as a service to a team, and always going a little bit further by choosing
1:23.7	discomfort. I really enjoyed this chat with Billy. It was honest and whilst it was a
1:30.1	little bit profane at times, some of his wisdom was incredibly profound. And it's a real privilege to
1:35.8	welcome the brilliant Billy Billingham into the studio. Now please note that this episode does
1:42.7	contain strong language throughout and some candid discussions of violence and extreme experiences, which may be challenging for some listeners.
1:54.0	What we want to do is on this series, really, we talk around sort of look at habits that our listeners can take away and go do it. So there's a few from your book that I wanted to talk about. Yeah, let's go for it. I mean, that story you told in the book when you got stabbed. It was crazy. I'd had a situation just, which I don't talk about. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, actually. And it was at this SCAR festival stroke disco.
2:18.6	And we're in there, and we're kind of in our little groups,
2:21.2	doing the SCAR music dancing around.
2:22.9	There's a guy stood next to me, Francis.
2:25.9	And the next thing, I was like, covered in what felt like warm coffee.
	...

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