We Focus on the biology of leadership
your brain fitness guide
Over the past three decades, Dr. Michael A. Schmidt has been refining the tools to optimize human performance for those working extreme and complex operating environments.
A critical component of this work has focused on how to protect, maintain, and optimize brain operations across hostile physical environments, as well as in ordinary physical environments where the cognitive, emotional, and performance demands are high.
From his work with special operations forces (e.g., SEALs), to fighter pilots, to SWAT members, to NFL, NBA, and Olympic athletes and coaches, to NASA, to astronauts, to corporate officers, to on-air media talent, to professional musicians, he has developed an approach to assessing the unique operating context, identifying deficiencies and weaknesses impacting brain fitness, and working to optimize the individual to their performance environment.
This is always with an eye toward both winning today and career longevity.
A critical component of this work has focused on how to protect, maintain, and optimize brain operations across hostile physical environments, as well as in ordinary physical environments where the cognitive, emotional, and performance demands are high.
From his work with special operations forces (e.g., SEALs), to fighter pilots, to SWAT members, to NFL, NBA, and Olympic athletes and coaches, to NASA, to astronauts, to corporate officers, to on-air media talent, to professional musicians, he has developed an approach to assessing the unique operating context, identifying deficiencies and weaknesses impacting brain fitness, and working to optimize the individual to their performance environment.
This is always with an eye toward both winning today and career longevity.
A sample of our brain fitness for leaders applications
- Preparing an astronaut’s brain to thrive in low Earth orbit and on missions to the Moon and Mars
- Preparing special forces for sustained operations in the field
- Readying a quarterback for the high speed and decision making in a game
- Optimizing a CEO for the demands of leadership, decision making, conflict management, and shareholder relations
- Supporting leaders in their recovery of brain fitness after brain injury
- Working to slow the trajectory of brain aging in CEOs
- Addressing the needs of young leaders, so they optimize brain fitness over a long career
- Working to facilitate team cohesion and reduce conflict
What these individuals in our operating space all share is a skill set that is often at or near the very top of their respective fields. The stakes are generally high, while gains and losses in efficiency and performance are usually quite noticeable.
In this, we have seen that a set of aggregating biological influences accumulate to either diminish or elevate brain fitness. This, in turn, shapes how the individual’s skill set gets deployed.
We all have up and down days. What if we could identify patterns that contribute to this variability. We also all age and our brain processes decline as we progress through our leadership years.
But not all leaders decline at the same rate.
What if we could identify the key points of influence, modify them earlier, and retain our brain fitness throughout the leadership years?
In this, we have seen that a set of aggregating biological influences accumulate to either diminish or elevate brain fitness. This, in turn, shapes how the individual’s skill set gets deployed.
We all have up and down days. What if we could identify patterns that contribute to this variability. We also all age and our brain processes decline as we progress through our leadership years.
But not all leaders decline at the same rate.
What if we could identify the key points of influence, modify them earlier, and retain our brain fitness throughout the leadership years?
What Thought Leaders Say:
“I have been in the human performance business for over half of my life. Rarely have I seen an individual possess such a high level of technical know-how and expertise across such a vast array of performance elements.”
Wes Barnett, Team Leader, Sport Performance,
US Olympic Committee,
Former Olympian (1992 & 1996)
Dr. Schmidt did his PhD research in Molecular Medicine and Biochemistry within the Life Sciences Division at NASA Ames Research Center under the Chief Medical Officer, Ralph Pelligra, MD. At NASA, he was involved in research on the NASA 20G Long-Arm Human Centrifuge, conducting the longest continuous human hypergravity exposures in history. This also included work with the Human Information Processing Research Branch at NASA.
Dr. Schmidt also did a fellowship at NASA’s Human Systems Integration Division (Psychophysiology Research Laboratory), with an emphasis on physiologic monitoring and autogenic feedback-focused countermeasures aimed at raising human performance in extended microgravity, hypergravity, sleep deprivation, night vision operations, pararescue, high altitude flight, spaceflight, and other stressors encountered in extreme environments. This included extensive use of EEG, along with complex sensor arrays to get real time feedback on more than 20 distinct autonomic nervous system measures simultaneously.
He received a second PhD in Neuroscience from Lancaster University, Department of Medical and Sports Science (UK), focused on neuroplastic molecular networks. This included some initial pilot work at the University of Cambridge focused on the molecular mechanisms of traumatic brain injury. He did additional studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in data and models (artificial neural networks, etc.). He and his team are also developers of the Astronaut Digital Twin.
For more on Dr. Schmidt see: www.drmichaelschmidt.com
Dr. Schmidt also did a fellowship at NASA’s Human Systems Integration Division (Psychophysiology Research Laboratory), with an emphasis on physiologic monitoring and autogenic feedback-focused countermeasures aimed at raising human performance in extended microgravity, hypergravity, sleep deprivation, night vision operations, pararescue, high altitude flight, spaceflight, and other stressors encountered in extreme environments. This included extensive use of EEG, along with complex sensor arrays to get real time feedback on more than 20 distinct autonomic nervous system measures simultaneously.
He received a second PhD in Neuroscience from Lancaster University, Department of Medical and Sports Science (UK), focused on neuroplastic molecular networks. This included some initial pilot work at the University of Cambridge focused on the molecular mechanisms of traumatic brain injury. He did additional studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in data and models (artificial neural networks, etc.). He and his team are also developers of the Astronaut Digital Twin.
For more on Dr. Schmidt see: www.drmichaelschmidt.com
What Thought Leaders Say:
“Michael, working with you on the molecular profiling and countermeasures program for the Warriors record-setting season has been some of the most meaningful work of my professional career.”
Lachlan Penfold
Head of Physical Performance & Sports Medicine
Golden State Warriors Basketball, NBA
(When setting the NBA record for wins in a season at 73-9)
Expedition with Special Forces Colleagues, Mountains (8,000 feet), North America, Image Credit: Sovaris Aerospace
Mount Kilimanjaro Summit (19,341 feet), Mayo Clinic, Ascent Research Team; M Schmidt, Co-Principal Investigator; Image Credit: Mayo Clinic
Corvette Racing Le Mans Series, Chief Scientist, Driver Science Program, Dr. Michael Schmidt (with Dr. Andrew Hayman)
Coming Soon!
Brain Fitness for Leaders
The New Science of Performance in Leadership
Be on the lookout for Dr. Schmidt’s book “Brain Fitness for Leaders.”
Deep biology
How the biology of performance is changing what is possible in leadership
Deep Insight
How you can harness this emerging science to make meaningful changes in your leadership abilities