Jo Lodder

Race the Horse You’re On

7 Racecards to High Performance

RACE 1 — Teams Take Forever to Make Decisions

Is your best talent frustrated by the slow pace of decisions while the competition pulls ahead?

In horse racing you can’t wait for the sun to shine. When the track is muddy and the wind is against you, you still ride your race. Jo learned that the biggest risk isn’t a slow start – it’s staying frozen in the gate while the field disappears. Jo helps leaders build teams that stop waiting for the ‘perfect track’ and make the move, no matter the conditions.

“Don’t wait for the perfect horse. Race the horse you’re on.”

RACE 2 — Fear of Getting It Wrong Slowing Everything Down

How many opportunities are you missing because your team is paralysed by the fear of making a mistake?

In horse racing, there is no time for hesitation. Jo made million-dollar decisions in split seconds while riding a half-tonne horse at 50 km/h. At that speed, if you wait for certainty, the gap is already gone and you lose the race,”good and now” always beats “perfect and too late.” Jo helps teams break the habit of waiting for perfect information or approval and start moving with speed and ownership.

“You can’t win from the weighing room. Take the gap or lose the race.”

RACE 3 — Everyone’s Playing It Way Too Safe

Are your team playing not to lose, instead of playing to win?

Comfort kills growth and ambition. Jo didn’t complete a 3,140 km run across China by staying comfortable on the sofa with a beer. Greatness demands the discipline of a finisher and the courage to take risks. Jo helps leaders build cultures where people stop hiding in safety and start stretching toward what they’re capable of.

“Sofa comfort never won. Join the Race, be a finisher, and set the pace.”

RACE 4 — One Setback and the Whole Team Loses Momentum

Why does a single failure ripple through the group, causing confidence to crumble and knock your team off course for weeks?

In business, things go wrong and momentum disappears fast. As a professional jockey, Jo fell at full gallop on 1 in 10 rides. A fall ended that race, but to win the next, Jo had to remount immediately and ride strong.Setbacks are inevitable but how fast you get back in the saddle determines whether you win or lose the season. Jo helps teams recover momentum quickly so one bad day doesn’t become a bad quarter.

“Falling isn’t failing. Staying down is. Jockeys remount.”

RACE 5 — The Best People Are Quietly Checking Out

Why are even the strongest performers mentally withdrawing, losing motivation and starting to disengage or even quietly leaving?

People don’t quit because the work is hard — they quit because it stops mattering. On his 3,140 km run across China, doctors told Jo to stop, but the mission was bigger than the pain. Stopping wasn’t an option. Jo helps leaders reconnect teams to a purpose that makes the work feel personal, so people choose to stay and run the extra mile.

“Run for pay, they’ll walk away. Run for Purpose means they’ll stay.”

RACE 6 — Everything Still Comes Back to Leader

Are Behind the scenes, people hesitate to act without approval, creating invisible bottlenecks as decisions flow only one way?

On the racetrack, Jo learned that pulling too tightly on the reins kills both performance and spirit. Great riders know when to guide and when to let the horse run. Jo helps leaders build real trust and ownership so their teams can perform strongly even when the leader isn’t watching.

“The strongest teams still run when you loosen the reins.”

RACE 7 — The Goal Feels So Big No One Knows Where to Start

Why are your targets out of reach, no matter how hard your team tries?

Big goals overwhelm when you focus only on the finish line. Jo didn’t complete the 3,140 km run from the Great Wall to Hong Kong by focusing on the full distance – he broke it down into small, repeatable steps, one kilometre at a time, every single day.

“One step today is the only way. To start the race and finish the day.”