Your Resilience is a True Predictor of Your Success
Pietro Fittipaldi knows a thing or two about Resilience.
As the Test and Reserve Driver of Formula 1 Team Haas and an official pilot of IndyCar Team Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan, Pietro continually demonstrates his commitment to his profession and his mental toughness.
At 27, he has achieved remarkable milestones, including a World Championship in 2017, podium finishes in European LMP2 races and having competed in the legendary Indy 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans races. Pietro Fittipaldi’s journey mirrors that of other great athletes in history, each facing their own unique set of challenges and risks to fulfill their destiny.
In May of 2018, Pietro broke both legs in a freak accident at the Spa circuit in Belgium during qualifying for the World Endurance Championship. Four months later, he was racing IndyCar, after having completed a grueling rehabilitation regimen in Indianapolis.
Pietro and his brother Enzo (competing in Formula 2 as a member of the Red Bull Team Academy), are the legacy of Emerson Fittipaldi, their grandfather and 2-time Formula 1 World Champion and 2-time Indy 500 winner.
That aside, Pietro and his family have carved their own path through enormous financial and training sacrifices. [More on their story]
Rest assured, their continuous improvement and achievements were not the result of mere chance but of extraordinary dedication and perseverance. They earned them through focus and tenacity of purpose.
Consider this: When I became Pietro’s mental training coach, he had six weeks to win the Formula Renault V8 3.5 World Championship. His main sponsor had stipulated he had to win it as a condition to continue supporting his path towards Formula 1.
After analyzing his needs for his next races, I planned a detailed training curriculum. He followed it conscientiously every day, enhancing his capacity to adapt through physical, emotional and intellectual challenges.
Six weeks later, he won the World Championship in Bahrain, catching the attention of the global media and the racing industry.
Resilience is a Learned and Trainable Skill
For the past seven years, Pietro's rigorous work ethic consolidated his physical and mental strength and instilled in him an unshakeable self-confidence. He needed it most when he had to replace his Formula 1 teammate Romain Grosjean after he got burned in his fiery accident in the Bahrain Grand Prix on November 29, 2020. Grosjean's 27 seconds in the burning cockpit were gut-wrenching and the prelude of Pietro's debut as a driver.
Due to the pandemic, Pietro’s role at Haas had been limited to working with the simulator. Yet, he raced well in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, without incidents. Team principal Guenther Steiner said, “I think Pietro did a great job, considering he drove the car for the last time a year ago and didn’t participate in any racing series, I think he did very well.” Preparation met opportunity.
In one of my conversations with Pietro, I asked him to take stock on his evolution. Talking about having had the opportunity to race in Formula 1, he highlighted that everything that we started working on since 2017 had made a difference. “We were able to put everything together over the years, to find exactly what got me into my peak performance, and then make it count when there was the most important moment.” Specificity matters.
He then pointed to his bedroom wall and said: “That’s the most pressure I ever felt because my future was on the line. You helped me and we made this quote, kind of like a mantra. I put it on my phone’s screensaver, on my wall, and I put it in the bathroom where I was living in Italy. To this day, it keeps me going. It’s engraved in my subconscious: “I’m the best under pressure.” When I got to the last race in Bahrain, I was cool as a cucumber. I was there doing what I know what to do. That's one of one of the key things that I learned with you.”
Pietro’s gritty determination and adaptability are not always readily available to athletes, entrepreneurs and business leaders. Unless they train for it. [There's a process to do it]
Many individuals look for the easiest path, telling themselves that they are “working smart” and that data, knowledge and skills are sufficient to get results.
But mental toughness and self-confidence come from flexible, versatile and creative thinking tested under pressure.
Developing the attitudes and habits you need to design solutions is what sets you apart. [Watch my conversation with Pietro on YouTube]
Peak Performers are Resilient and Creative Thinkers
Excellence and maximizing potential require “loving the challenge,” using obstacles as stepping stones to learn and increase your “toughness capacity.”
You can’t fake mental toughness: the self-confidence and resilience that come from it are genuine.
When I asked Pietro about the biggest lesson he has learned through the years, he didn’t hesitate: “Perseverance. You need to believe, always. No matter how big the adversity is, you have to keep going. Even if you can’t envision the end result or you don’t understand why the process is so tough, if you persevere the results are going to come.”
While there will always be leaders and competitors who are more talented, resourceful and seemingly more successful, you can always choose to be “the best under pressure” and train for it, as professional athletes do. Why? Because grit and perseverance are accurate predictors of success.
Peak Performers embrace The Breakthrough Mindset
In a world often polarized by optimism and pessimism, I've chosen a different lens—one that sees the glass not as half-full or half-empty, but as full and a half. [I wrote a book about it]
This perspective embodies my approach to life, rooted in an optimistic belief in endless possibilities and the power of incremental progress. Living within such perspective is a creative act.
I've found that for every obstacle encountered, there exist alternative pathways leading to solutions. By intentionally focusing on "what can be," I explore avenues of potential and embrace a broad perception field that fosters creativity and constructive thinking. I do it for myself and my clients.
I view life as a journey of continuous learning, adaptation, and evolution. As humans, we possess the remarkable ability to shape our futures through imagination and innovation. I call this the Breakthrough Mindset.
Creating Breakthrough is how I contribute to others. By exercising our creative faculties, we not only envision possibilities but also inhabit them, actively shaping the reality we wish to experience.
You don’t need to wait until you get an ultimatum or you are stuck in a crisis to get started.
Below, I invite you to consider the many opportunities I’ve created for you to design your Breakthrough, along with your team and your organization.
Remember: the glass is full and a half because we make it so.
Thank you for your kind attention and support.
[First published in my LinkedIn newsletter “The Glass is Full and a Half” on June 13, 2024]
UPDATE: Pietro Fittipaldi will race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2025 Edition) on Sat, Jun 14, 2025 – Sun, Jun 15, 2025. In the US, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be broadcast on MotorTrend TV and stream on Max. In Europe, the broadcast will be on Eurosport, including Eurosport 1 and Eurosport Player. Specifics will vary by country, with channels like La Chaine L'Equipe in France, and Quest in the UK showing the race live. Fans can also access the race through the FIA WEC app.
More Suggestions: