The secret to performance is feeling your emotions, but not being ruled by them.
A respected mental skills coach and counsellor, Tommy Livingston helps leaders, athletes and decision-makers perform at their best when the pressure is on.
Based in Hawke's Bay, Tommy works with some of New Zealand's highest-performing business leaders, politicians and sporting figures, helping them navigate uncertainty, make clear decisions and lead effectively in demanding environments.
Before entering the world of coaching, Tommy spent five years as a journalist in newsrooms across New Zealand, covering major national events and high-profile stories for a leading media organisation. Reporting from the frontline of crime and breaking news gave him a unique understanding of pressure, judgement and performance under scrutiny. His work earned him a Canon Media Award, recognising his excellence in journalism.
Driven by a growing interest in human behaviour and wellbeing, Tommy retrained in counselling, completing a Master's in Counselling after previously earning qualifications in education and the arts. He now combines his background in communication with evidence-based psychological practice to help people thrive in high-pressure environments.
At the centre of Tommy's work is emotional flexibility: the ability to experience difficult thoughts and emotions without being controlled by them. Through practical, research-backed approaches, he helps individuals strengthen resilience, improve decision-making and stay aligned with their values when the stakes are high.
Drawing on lessons from business, politics, sport and his own professional journey, Tommy has become a trusted adviser to many of New Zealand's most accomplished leaders, helping them build the mental skills needed to perform consistently and live well.
Talking Points
Pressure Proof: The art of emotional flexibility
High performing people can adapt, change, and stay open to what’s happening in front of them. But doing that consistently - especially under pressure - requires emotional flexibility.Pressure Proof: The art of emotional flexibility
When pressure builds in life, many people get pulled into unhelpful patterns: rumination, reactive decision-making, recurring conflict, emotional exhaustion or avoidance. Over time, these patterns quietly erode performance, judgement, and relationships.
Pressure Proof helps people understand what’s really happening in these moments - and how to respond differently.
Emotionally flexible people can step back from difficult thoughts and emotions, gain perspective, and choose actions that align with their values and goals. They’re able to hold stress without being overwhelmed by it, stay steady in uncertainty, and lead with clarity rather than reactivity.
Grounded in the latest research and , this keynote/workshop provides practical, evidence-based tools peoplle can apply immediately, to navigate everyday pressure and to show up well when it matters most.
Reset. Realign. Refocus. Create a high performing team and culture.
The best teams are aligned. They have a shared understanding of how they want to work together, what they expect of one another, and the kind of culture they are deliberately building. Reset, Realign, Refocus is designed to create the space for that conversation.Reset. Realign. Refocus. Create a high performing team and culture.
Many teams carry mixed or unspoken assumptions. People default to old habits, avoid difficult conversations, or operate with different ideas of what “good” actually looks like. Over time, this creates friction, inconsistency, and unnecessary pressure.
In contrast, teams that take time to reset and realign can establish clear expectations, agree on how they want to perform, and set a shared standard for how they show up - especially under pressure.
Drawing on practical tools from performance psychology, this workshop guides teams through a structured, evidence-based conversation about who they want to be together. We surface assumptions that usually stay unspoken, map the behaviours that matter most, and create a clear, shared way of working. The result is stronger trust, better alignment, and more consistent execution.
Our leaders walked away with a renewed sense of self-awareness and a clear understanding of how our own emotions play an important role in the relationships we have. ... keep reading Palmerston North City Council
Tommy Livingston delivered a highly effective keynote for our whole team. His message strongly aligned with our values and was shared in a simple, relatable way, ensuring the key ideas were clear and not lost in complexity. His delivery was engaging and authentic, and the personal stories he shared helped bring his message to life. Our team found the session meaningful, practical, and easy to connect with. We would highly recommend Tommy to any organisation looking for a speaker who can connect genuinely with people and leave them with messages that truly stick.
