I CONSTANTLY SEE THE FEAR OF FAILURE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY.
They need mental resilience more than ever. But I’ve also made a career discovering the secrets of high performers’ success. So we’ve launched a programme to bring those secrets into the nation’s classrooms.
Ruffer is supporting the High Performance Foundation to deliver Game Plan into schools across the country. Game Plan is a free educational resource for children which uses stories and lessons from the world’s highest performers to help develop mental strength and resilience.
I GREW UP IN A SMALL VILLAGE IN NORFOLK, JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM WHERE I LIVE NOW. THERE WAS A LOT OF LOVE IN MY FAMILY, BUT AMBITION WAS PRETTY LOW.
I thought there were high performers who would go on to achieve great things. And then there were people like me.
After ploughing my A-levels, I got some work experience with my local television station. That was my route in. Eventually, it led to a job hosting kids’ programme Bamzooki and then sports presenting roles.
That meant standing on the sidelines watching greatness in Formula 1, the Champions League and the Olympics. What fascinated me wasn’t the result, but what those individuals had done to achieve such incredible things.
When you talk to them, you realise high performers are just like you and me. Except they’ve learnt the skills that have propelled them to these amazing feats.
So I started the High Performance Podcast – to turn the experiences of the planet’s highest performers into life lessons for everyone.
The podcast did well, but we got loads of messages from teachers and parents saying they wanted kids to hear them too.
Young people are not growing up in the world we grew up in. It is far harder today, because they are constantly bombarded with an unrealistic highlight reel of other people’s lives via social media.
With one in five children aged eight to 16 estimated to have a mental health disorder1 and 66% of employers2 reporting that young people lack essential soft skills for the workplace, there’s an urgent need for change.
That’s why my charitable foundation launched Game Plan, to take the lessons from the podcast into the classroom to build resilience, wellbeing and employability skills.
Lots of people have tried to get through to children, explaining the mindsets they need. But it’s always been done by booklets or by presentations delivered by teachers.
The difference with Game Plan is it’s engaging. They can hear firsthand from KSI, Gordon Ramsay, Usain Bolt, Kathryn Ryan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sir Keir Starmer, all giving tangible insights into what life is actually like, at school and beyond.
And it works. An independent education consultancy assessed 6,000 pupils aged 15 or over who did Game Plan. Even though that particular model was only six weeks long, it found a statistically significant improvement in pupils’ wellbeing.
Game Plan is now embedded in the curriculum of 28,000 secondary school children in the UK. By 2030, we want to be working with 1 million children. We know the social and emotional skills that drive mental resilience are the foundation for young people to do well. They will never be high performers – whatever that means for them – without the following six foundational skills.
My kids often come home from school and tell us what went wrong. Rather than try to solve it by speaking to the teachers, I’m thinking, “Brilliant! The kids have failed.”
Because what we’ve learned from the High Performance Podcast is that the most important muscle we all need is resilience. It is far more important than talent.
Greg Hoffman, former Chief Marketing Officer of Nike, says, “Failure is the price of ambition.” If you want a great life, you must get comfortable with failure.
So we teach youngsters mechanisms for shifting away from negative spirals towards framing setbacks more positively.
High performers can tell the difference between fault and responsibility. Someone may be suffering from childhood trauma or be waiting for a diagnosis, but acknowledging it’s not their fault and finding a way through is critical.
A lot of people blame others for not achieving their goals. Usain Bolt told us they should instead look at themselves and say: “This is on me. I can do better in this area and that area. I need to work hard.”
Many young people have played a blame game since the pandemic lockdowns. They feel they have a lack of control in many situations.
We’re helping them shift from a blame culture where they feel helpless to taking ownership. That’s hugely empowering.
“WHAT WE’VE LEARNED FROM THE HIGH PERFORMANCE PODCAST IS THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT MUSCLE WE ALL NEED IS RESILIENCE. IT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN TALENT.”
Teachers say the number one thing holding young people back is that they feel the need to share online whatever they do. To help them navigate a world where they are constantly exposed to other people’s apparent success, they need to know themselves.
Adults are also struggling, even those who were successful growing up. As we get older, we realise we’re on a hedonic treadmill. We think we’re going to be happy when we get the new job, and then when we hit our targets, when we get promoted, when we retire. Then we retire and think, “I should have been happy all along. Because the only thing I had was time.”
Game Plan teaches that learning to reflect and know what is important to you is the foundation for building the other skills, like resilience, confidence and collaboration.
The human brain has a negativity bias. It’s what kept our ancestors alive – the ones who thought the tiger was friendly died.
So we’ve all evolved from pessimists. And pessimism can lead to pressure, which can feel overwhelming.
But we sometimes forget that life is meant to be challenging. The tough days, when you’re stretched, tired or questioning yourself – that’s the sign you’re growing. The anxiety, the uncertainty, the discomfort – that’s where you learn to handle the pressure, where resilience is built. So don’t run from it. Recognise it for proof you’re doing something that matters.
One method to counteract negativity and better handle pressure is to make a list of the good things that happen to you. Once a day, note down something positive: a fun lunch with your colleagues, the sunny day, dinner with your kids with no devices.
“THE ANXIETY, THE UNCERTAINTY, THE DISCOMFORT — THAT’S WHERE YOU LEARN TO HANDLE THE PRESSURE, WHERE RESILIENCE IS BUILT.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger told me to never call him a self-made man. Everyone always praised him for doing great things, but he knows he couldn’t have achieved what he did on his own.
Nowadays, young people want to go on social media and show the world they’re the sole reason for their success. We have to re-educate them. You can do so little on your own but so much if you do it collaboratively. To do this we need to develop and harness empathy, which is the pillar of teamwork and collaboration.
At my low point in the 1990s, after being fired from McDonald’s for poor communication skills, I read Sir Richard Branson’s autobiography. It changed how I thought about the world. He came on the podcast and explained why asking questions and listening to the answers is so important: “I know what I think, so hearing my voice is not going to improve anything at Virgin. But listening to what other people are saying is going to make a massive difference.”
Taking lessons from the podcast and Game Plan, Jake and the team have written an at-home guide for young people. Game Plan: Level Up Your Mindset. Own Your Future, a blueprint for unlocking young excellence, will be available from 26 March 2026. Visit highperformancefoundation.org for more information about the Foundation.
If you’re not a great problem solver, you’ll probably struggle in business. At school, young people are still given information to learn and then repeat. We should also be teaching them the power of problem solving.
In Game Plan, sports psychiatrist Steve Peters explains how to help our brains solve problems. When your mind is juggling lots of problems at the same time, it starts stressing. Once you list them down, you feel relief, because now you have a plan, which is what your brain needs. Being given too much information at once is overwhelming. Individually, each problem is easier to deal with.
We believe these six mindsets, taught alongside the established curriculum, can propel young people into better, more fulfilling careers – and even happier lives. ⬤
1 NHS England (2023), Mental Health of Children and Young People in England Survey 2 Department of Education (2024), Employer Skills Survey
The views expressed in this document are not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any investment or financial instrument. The information contained in the document is fact based and does not constitute investment research, investment advice or a personal recommendation, and should not be used as the basis for any investment decision. References to specific securities should not be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell these securities. This document reflects Ruffer’s opinions at the date of publication only, and the opinions are subject to change without notice. Information contained in this document has been compiled from sources believed to be reliable but it has not been independently verified; no representation is made as to its accuracy or completeness, no reliance should be placed on it and no liability is accepted for any loss arising from reliance on it. Nothing herein excludes or restricts any duty or liability to a customer, which Ruffer has under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 or under the rules of the Financial Conduct Authority.
Ruffer LLP is a limited liability partnership, registered in England with registration number OC305288. The firm’s principal place of business and registered office is 80 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5JL. This financial promotion is issued by Ruffer LLP which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK and is registered as an investment adviser with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. © Ruffer LLP 2026 ruffer.co.uk
For US institutional investors: securities offered through Ruffer LLC, Member FINRA. Ruffer LLC is doing business as Ruffer North America LLC in New York. Ruffer LLC is the distributor for Ruffer LLP, serving as the marketing affiliate to introduce eligible investors to Ruffer LLP. More information about Ruffer LLC is available at BrokerCheck by FINRA. Any statements or material contained herein is for institutional investor use only and is not intended to be, nor shall it be construed as legal, tax or investment advice or as an offer, or the solicitation of any offer, to buy or sell any securities. This material is provided for informational purposes only as of the date hereof and is subject to change without notice. Any Information contained herein, has been supplied by Ruffer LLP and, although believed to be reliable, has not been independently verified and cannot be guaranteed. Ruffer LLC makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, validity, or completeness of such information. Ruffer LLC is generally compensated by Ruffer LLP for finding investors for the respective Ruffer LLP funds it represents. Ruffer LLP is a registered investment adviser advising the respective Ruffer LLP funds, and is responsible for handling investor acceptance.