Sports Performance Leadership - Jeremy Sheppard: Character First: Leading Beyond the Hierarchy

Episode 201: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, hosted by Pete McKnight, we are joined by Jeremy Sheppard — an internationally respected performance coach, sport scientist, and leader in athlete development.

Jeremy has spent over two decades working at the highest levels of sport, from the Australian Institute of Sport to Canada Snowboard, where he currently serves as Performance Coach within the Slopestyle program. His work integrates movement, mindset, and medicine, creating high-performing environments where athletes thrive.

Across his career, Jeremy has held key roles with Surfing Australia, Australian Volleyball, and consulted with organisations including the New York Jets, Newcastle United FC, and Melbourne Storm. Having contributed to athlete success at eight Olympic Games, multiple X Games, and World Championships, his experience spans continents, cultures, and disciplines.

In this conversation, Jeremy offers deep reflections on leadership, authenticity, and performance — exploring how character, creativity, and relationships drive sustainable achievement in sport and beyond.

Topics Discussed:

• Background & Career Journey — From athlete to sports scientist/coach, working at Australian Institute of Sport and Canada Snowboard
• Character as Leadership Foundation — Character drives behaviour and sustainable achievement; contrasting childhood influences shaped this philosophy
• Anti-Hierarchical Leadership — Dynamic team structures, circular decision-making, “captain in the dressing room” approach, leadership shifts based on context
• Personal Before Team Leadership — Self-development and authentic identity required before effectively leading others
• Team Development — Empowering autonomy, creating belonging, working with limited resources through creativity and relationships
• Redefining Success — Success as behaviours matching values rather than outcomes; process over results focus

Where you can find Jeremy:

• LinkedIn

• Instagram

• X

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Sponsors

VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport. 

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Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Our Website

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Our Team

• Andy McDonald
• Ben Ashworth
• Alistair McKenzie
• Dylan Carmody
• Steve Barrett 
• Pete McKnight