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Sarah Furness: National 2023 Sales Conference
Sarah Furness
Former Royal Air Force Combat Helicopter Pilot, Executive Coach & Mindfulness Expert
- Became the first female RAF helicopter pilot to fly and lead UK Special Forces missions in Iraq
- A qualified mindfulness coach, cognitive behavioural therapist, and human factors facilitator
- Uses stories from her action-packed career of service to share lessons on leadership, resilience, overcoming adversity, and peak performance
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After graduating from Cambridge University, Sarah Furness followed her dream to become a combat helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force. As a trailblazing squadron leader, she led on operational combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and she was the first female helicopter pilot to fly and lead UK Special Forces missions in Iraq. Through her experiences both at home and at war, she made two important discoveries:
- Resilience and performance under pressure is NOT instinctive
- BUT humans have an extraordinary ability to excel and lead the way under pressure — when they know how
This epiphany inspired her current mission: To share the secret to outstanding resilience, performance, and courage “under fire.” When speaking to groups she captivates them with action-packed stories from her career as an RAF navigating high-risk missions at the heart o conflict and uses these experiences to share remarkable lessons on leading with impact and performing under pressure — even when surrounded by chaos and uncertainty.
After hearing Sarah’s stories, the audience will walk away with performance, leadership, and resilience techniques that are backed by science, proven in combat and immediately transferable into the workplace. She is fluent in “alpha male” and whilst she takes her work seriously, she doesn’t take herself too seriously. Sarah is the no. 1 bestselling author of Fly Higher: Train Your Ming to Feel as Strong as You Look. She has a young son who she adores and who keeps her on her A game.
Speaker Video
Sarah Furness: Why being challenged is not a failure in leadership
Sarah Furness: What are we really afraid of?
How to Be a Fearless Leader. As an RAF combat helicopter pilot, Sarah Furness became the first female helicopter pilot to fly and lead UK Special Forces missions in Iraq. Reflecting upon those experiences, she demonstrates how leaders can cultivate adaptability and rejection by reframing rejection and adversity as opportunities for learning that will help them grow as difference-makers within their organizations and beyond.
Train Hard, Fight Easy: Lessons on the Path to Peak Performance. In this keynote, Sarah Furness draws upon her own experiences and expertise as an RAF combat helicopter pilot to share practical strategies for how anyone can harness pressure as a catalyst for peak performance and unlock their full potential in any challenging situation.
The Power of Choice: How Leaders Overcome Adversity. Former RAF combat helicopter pilot Sarah Furness reflects on the Special Forces missions she led at the heart of conflict in Iraq to reveal her unconventional, yet impactful, approach to leading in the face of adversity. Using compelling anecdotes from her career journey to emphasize the power of choice, she shares practical strategies for how anyone can make conscious decisions that drive positive outcomes, and foster a culture of empowerment and growth within their organizations
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