About Applied Performance Institute
Helping leaders stay clear, grounded, and effective in a world that never stops moving
Applied Performance Institute is an organization built to support leading companies and modern leaders who value innovation, growth, and expansion without sacrificing sustainability and individual success.
We deliver premium, customized training that empowers leaders to be more effective, make stronger decisions, and perform well under pressure.
Organizations ask leaders to make high-stakes decisions, navigate constant change, and inspire teams — all while managing pressure that never really lets up. Most training programs focus on skills and strategy. Few address the internal capacity leaders need to maintain priorities, be decisive, and guide a team to success.
Our Perspective
Excellent leadership requires internal capacity
Most organizations expect people to rise to the occasion. But rising requires internal resources: clarity, emotional control, the ability to regulate stress, and the presence of mind to respond instead of react.
Applied Performance develops those internal capabilities from the inside out.
Behavior change has to be measurable
We don’t rely on inspiration or vague ideas.
Applied Performance strengthens four specific neural pathways, and those changes can be measured in research settings. This is why it creates sustained improvement rather than short-term enthusiasm.
Leaders need tools they can use in real time
Every technique taught in Applied Performance Training is designed to work in the moment — before a presentation, during a conflict, in the middle of a high-pressure decision.
No rituals. No complicated routines. Just practical tools that quiet the nervous system and bring leaders back to clarity.
Our Story
Applied Performance Training was developed by Dawson Church, PhD, a bestselling author and researcher whose work explores how emotional and cognitive states shape performance, resilience, and well-being. His research and publications have contributed to the scientific understanding of how targeted practices can activate and strengthen performance-related brain circuits.
Applied Performance training emerged from that body of research. It leverages the most evidence-based, measurable components for the challenges leaders face in modern organizations.
As interest in the research grew, companies began asking for structured programs that could help their leaders think and perform more effectively under pressure. The result is a proprietary training methodology that blends science, leadership development, and practical application
The boundaries of what you’ve believed possible will be stretched far beyond your existing picture of reality.
– Jack Canfield, Coauthor of #1 New York Times bestselling Chicken Soup® series
What We Believe
Clarity beats intensity
Leaders do their best work when the mind is calm and focused, not overloaded.
Resilience is a trainable skill
Burnout isn’t a character flaw. It’s a mismatch between demands and internal capacity — and capacity can be expanded.
The nervous system is the hidden lever of performance
Teams rise or fall to the level of the leader’s steadiness.
Better leaders build better cultures
Leadership behavior shapes communication, trust, and team resilience.
Who We Serve
We partner with organizations seeking stronger leadership, healthier culture, and sustainable performance.
- Fast-growing companies navigating complexity
- Established organizations modernizing their leadership models
- Teams dealing with burnout, turnover, or rapid change
- Leaders preparing for elevated roles
- HR and L&D teams investing in long-term talent development
Applied Performance Institute draws on a global network of more than 1,000 trained practitioners capable of supporting organizational delivery and implementation.
Our Commitment
We bring research, practicality, and clarity to every engagement and measure our success by yours. We’re here to serve you and expand your capacity for success.