September 12, 2025
Brad Gushue brought curling's toughest lessons to workplace safety professionals this week, delivering a keynote at the Health and Safety Professionals Canada (HSPC) Professional Development Conference 2025.
Speaking in St. John's—just blocks from where he captured the 2017 Brier title—Brad focused on one central truth: the teams that perform under pressure aren't the ones without stress, they're the ones who've built psychological safety, trust, and honest communication.
"Within a team, vulnerability is a superpower," he told a packed room of safety professionals. "It opens the door to trusted and honest communication, and that's where the real magic happens."
His keynote centered on six characteristics he's relied on throughout his Olympic career and business ventures: talent, leadership, planning, attitude, resilience, and communication. But talent alone isn't enough. Brad emphasized putting people in roles where they can succeed—and surrounding yourself with people willing to challenge you on days when you're not performing at your best.
He shared how mindfulness training transformed his team's consistency under pressure, describing how a five-minute daily meditation practice created a "mental buffer" between performance setbacks and emotional reactions. He detailed the 2010 culture rebuild that prioritized curiosity, adaptability, and empathy—values that proved decisive during the 2017 Brier when a teammate admitted their struggle with sleep and eating, opening the door for the whole team to share the burden and reset their focus.
For safety leaders managing teams across construction, energy, healthcare, and public service, Brad's challenge was direct: lead with vulnerability. Share something uncomfortable with your team—a worry, a weakness—and do it again in a few weeks. That's when trust forms. That's when the real work gets done.
"We built our success through culture, not coincidence," Brad said. "And you can too."
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Interested in bringing Brad to your next leadership conference? Get in touch to discuss speaking engagements and team development workshops tailored to your organization.