Moment 155. 5 Steps to Reverse a Performance Slump - No Bullsh!t Leadership

Summary4 min read

No Bullsh!t Leadership — “Moment 155: 5 Steps to Reverse a Performance Slump”

Host: Martin G Moore
Date: January 11, 2026

Overview

In this “Moments with Marty” short episode, Martin G Moore draws inspiration from a dramatic NFL performance slump to share a practical, five-step process for leaders to recognize and reverse their own dips in performance. Moore emphasizes the universality of performance challenges—whether in sports or leadership—and focuses on actionable steps to regain confidence and effectiveness when a slump strikes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: The Bret Maher Example

[00:25–01:44]
- Moore recounts the story of Dallas Cowboys’ kicker Brett Maher, who experienced an uncharacteristic performance drop, missing six out of seven critical kicks despite a career average of 95%.
- This real-world sports analogy sets up the broader leadership lesson: Even top performers can suddenly hit a slump.
“I could feel the confidence draining from him, like watching a car tyre slowly deflating.”
— Martin G Moore [01:44]

2. Understanding Performance Slumps

[01:44–02:07]
- Moore underscores how a crisis of confidence can happen without warning, impacting even seasoned leaders.
- Recognition is the first step—don't ignore or rationalize a prolonged dip in results.

3. Martin’s Five-Step Process to Reverse a Performance Slump

Step 1: Look at the Evidence
- [02:07–02:33]
  - Examine your performance data objectively: Is the slump real or just self-doubt?
  - Reference to episode 229 for deeper analysis of “confidence, arrogance, and self-doubt.”
  "It’s really important to look at any slump in the context of your historical performance... is there actually hard evidence of declining performance?”
  — Martin G Moore [02:13]
Step 2: Confirm Your Self-Assessment with Someone You Trust
- [02:33–02:58]
  - Seek independent feedback because leadership seldom offers immediate results.
  - Trusted advisors can provide insights you might have missed.
  "Your slump may not be quite as obvious... in leadership, you don't always get immediate feedback in such an irrefutable way..."
  — Martin G Moore [02:36]
Step 3: Ask Yourself, What’s Changed?
- [02:58–03:29]
  - Identify when and why the downturn began—finding a trigger or root cause.
  - This gives you the best chance to fix the issue before it spirals.
  “If you can pinpoint a specific event, it's more likely that you'll get to the root cause of the problem.”
  — Martin G Moore [03:13]
Step 4: Visualize, Breathe and Meditate
- [03:29–04:04]
  - Reset your physical and mental states to avoid the fight-or-flight spiral.
  - Moore emphasizes the power of mental routines and calm breathing to regain control.
  "When you freak out, your pulse rate increases, you sweat... This can derail the most basic of activities, so you need a mental routine to rebuild your confidence.”
  — Martin G Moore [03:37]
Step 5: Go Back to Basics
- [04:04–04:41]
  - If nothing else works, rely on your core skills, habits, and foundational routines.
  - Trust the processes that made you successful in the first place.
  “When the results seem to be weirdly unattainable, go back to basics. Focus on the process and trust that it’s going to bring you back up to where you’ve always been.”
  — Martin G Moore [04:15]

4. Reassurance and Next Steps

[04:41–05:10]
- Believe in your ability to recover; slumps are temporary if tackled proactively.
- Moore recommends episode 236 (“It’s all in the mind”) for a deeper dive on confidence and performance resets.
"You have to believe that no slump is permanent and that you have the ability to return to your previous level of performance."
— Martin G Moore [04:41]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“I could feel the confidence draining from him, like watching a car tyre slowly deflating.”
— Martin G Moore [01:44]
“It’s really important to look at any slump in the context of your historical performance... is there actually hard evidence of declining performance?”
— Martin G Moore [02:13]
“If you can pinpoint a specific event, it's more likely that you'll get to the root cause of the problem.”
— Martin G Moore [03:13]
“When you freak out, your pulse rate increases, you sweat... so you need a mental routine to rebuild your confidence.”
— Martin G Moore [03:37]
“Go back to basics. Focus on the process and trust that it’s going to bring you back up.”
— Martin G Moore [04:15]
“You have to believe that no slump is permanent and that you have the ability to return to your previous level of performance.”
— Martin G Moore [04:41]

Essential Timestamps

[00:25] NFL analogy introduction
[02:07] Step 1: Look at the evidence
[02:33] Step 2: Confirm with a trusted advisor
[02:58] Step 3: What’s changed?
[03:29] Step 4: Visualize, breathe, meditate
[04:04] Step 5: Back to basics
[04:41] Encouragement and next steps

Final Takeaway

Martin G Moore delivers a concise, experience-based framework for leaders facing a slump—aiming to destigmatize performance drops and empower leaders with clear, actionable steps to quickly regain their edge. This “no bullshit” roadmap is filled with practical wisdom and grounded optimism, perfect for any leader in need of a confidence reset.

For further exploration, check out episodes 229 (“Confidence, Arrogance and Self Doubt”) and 236 (“It’s All in the Mind”).

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Transcript2 lines

[00:02]
A
Welcome to the no Bullshit Leadership Podcast. In a world where knowledge has become a commodity, this podcast is designed to give you something more access to the experience of a successful CEO who has already walked the path. So join your host, Martin Moore, who will unlock and bring to life your own leadership experiences and accelerate your journey to leadership excellence.
[00:25]
B
Welcome to Moments with Marty, your short, sharp shot of leadership insight to help you to stay on track between our weekly episodes of the no Bullshit Leadership Podcast, about three years ago I was watching an NFL playoff game that inspired me to produce a podcast episode. In this particular game, the kicker for the Dallas Cowboys, Brett Maher, fell into a performance hole that he couldn't seem to dig himself out of. Now, Maher was considered to be one of the top 10 kickers in the NFL, getting paid millions of dollars a year. Yet over a three game stretch he struggled to land the simplest of kicks, the point after touchdown conversion taken from right in front of the goal post and only 33 yards out. It's really rare for a professional kicker to miss even one of these. In fact, over his career, maher had a 95% success rate on pats. That's an average of 19 out of 20. But all of a sudden, for some inexplicable reason, he completely lost the plot. He kicked only one from seven, less than 15% when it mattered the most. Missing the first kick was surprising enough, but as he was shaping up for each subsequent attempt, I could feel the confidence draining from him, like watching a car tyre slowly deflating. How does a crisis of confidence like this happen? Well, in the original episode I talked about how to recognise a form slump in your own leadership performance because it can happen to anyone. More importantly though, I offered my five step process for digging your way out of that hole. So step number one, look at the evidence. It's really important to look at any slump in the context of your historical performance. If you feel a little bit out of sorts, you need to know whether it's just healthy self doubt creeping in or if there's actually hard evidence of declining performance. I did a great analysis of this in episode 229 confidence, arrogance and self doubt. The second step in the process Confirm your self assessment. With an independent person, your slump may not be quite as obvious as it was in Brett Maher's case. In leadership, you don't always get immediate feedback in such an irrefutable way. So if you have a trusted advisor seek their guidance. How do they see your recent performance? What insights can they offer about what might have changed. Pay attention to your trusted advisor's observations because it may not be as bad as you think, or it may be every bit as bad as you think. Step number three is ask yourself, what's changed now? If you consider this thoughtfully, it gives you the opportunity to identify the point in time when you first started feeling this way. If you can pinpoint a specific event, it's more likely that you'll get to the root cause of the problem. Once the decline starts, it's really easy to spiral out of control, so it helps if you can find the origin point quickly. Step 4 Visualize, breathe and Meditate when you have a brain explosion that hijacks your performance, the trick is to not let your physical state be dictated by your mental state. When you freak out, your pulse rate increases, you sweat, your body conserves energy in preparation for fight or flight. This can derail the most basic of activities, so you need a mental routine to rebuild your confidence. Resetting your physical state is a learnable skill and once you master it, you can bring yourself back to complete calm in just a few minutes. And finally, step number five Go back to basics. If you can't work out what's the core of your performance decline. Go back to your tried and trusted processes. Rely on the skills and disciplines that made you a great performer in the first place. When the results seem to be weirdly unattainable, go back to basics. Focus on the process, and trust that it's going to bring you back up to where you've always been. You have to believe that no slump is permanent and that you have the ability to return to your previous level of performance. Just follow this five step process and you'll be able to climb out of even the direst performance hole. If you want to take a deeper dive in how you can quickly recognise a performance hiccup and rebuild your confidence, have a listen to episode 236 of the no Bullshit Leadership podcast. It's all in the mind. We'll leave a link in the show. Notes I really hope you enjoyed this moment and that it gives you that extra little spark to be a no Bullshit leader.