Alan Olive
Former Navy Pilot and Performance Psychologist Alan Olive on Loss, Vulnerability, Elite Performance and Human Connection
What does it really mean to live a meaningful life?
In this episode of We Are The People Podcast, I speak to former Navy pilot, performance psychologist, leadership coach, and adventurer Alan Olive about resilience, grief, vulnerability, elite performance, and the growing importance of human connection in an increasingly digital world.
Alan has spent decades working in high-pressure environments, from flying military aircraft and climbing dangerous mountain routes to coaching elite athletes and leadership teams. But beneath the stories of performance and adventure is a deeply human conversation about loss, identity, relationships, and emotional growth.
This is a powerful episode about mistakes, learning, masculinity, fatherhood, grief, and what happens when life forces you to slow down and reassess what truly matters.
In This Episode with Alan Olive
In this conversation, Alan discusses:
- What it was like flying aircraft in the Royal Navy
- Landing a £7 million aircraft on the wrong ship
- Why vulnerability creates stronger leadership
- The psychology of elite performance and resilience
- Fear, risk, and climbing Mount Cook in New Zealand
- Grief after losing his wife to cancer
- Dating and finding love again after loss
- Fatherhood and emotional intelligence
- Toxic masculinity, banter, and psychological safety
- AI, social media, and the future of human connection
- Why curiosity is essential for growth and wellbeing
