What the No.1 Brain Surgeon Taught Us About Delivering Hard Truths
The High Performance Podcast
High Performance
4.8 • 4.7K Ratings
🗓️ 13 August 2025
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Some conversations change lives. Others change the way we think about how we have them.
In this episode, I share the lesson I took from Dr. Rahul Jandial, world-renowned brain surgeon, neuroscientist, and author, about the quiet power of the pause.
Rahul has delivered some of the hardest news anyone can hear. And what he’s learned is that it’s not just the words that matter, it’s what happens after them. In those seconds of silence, people begin to process, to find their footing, to summon the courage for what comes next.
It’s a habit we can all use. At work when we’re giving feedback. At home in tough conversations. In moments with friends when they trust us enough to share what’s really going on.
In this episode, we explore:
- How silence builds trust faster than reassurance
- The neuroscience behind giving people space to think
- Why the pause can change the way we lead, comfort, and connect
- How to practice it in your everyday life
If you’ve ever wanted to show up better in the conversations that matter most, this one’s for you.
Here is more information on the studies referenced:
- Physician–Patient Communication: The Relationship With Malpractice Claims (Wendy Levinson et al., JAMA 1997)
- How to Stop Saying “Um,” “Ah,” and “You Know” Harvard Business Review
Listen to the full episode with Dr. Rahul Jandial: https://pod.fo/e/251425
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Available now on the high performance app, a deep dive into elite health with well-being performance nutritionist James Collins. |
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