From three steps to a new way of thinking about leadership

A Warrington entrepreneur is using his own experience of major heart surgery to help business leaders understand the importance of building and protecting their capacity to perform.

Jon Betts spent 30 years in policing, including senior leadership roles where he was responsible for more than 1,200 people. But in January 2025, his perspective on performance changed dramatically when he underwent major surgery to repair his mitral valve.
After going from leading more than 1,200 people to needing two nurses to help him take three steps from his hospital bed, Jon began reflecting on how leaders often expect their bodies and minds to simply keep up with the demands placed upon them.
That experience, combined with his leadership background and qualification as a health coach, led him to establish Virtusium Performance Health, with the help of the Enterprise Accelerator programme from Warrington Chamber Plus.
The business works with individual leaders and leadership teams through executive coaching, workshops and diagnostic programmes, focusing on the physical and mental capacity needed to sustain high performance.
Jon believes leadership development and health should not be treated as separate issues.
“How well a leader sleeps, recovers, fuels themselves and manages sustained demand directly affects how they think, make decisions, regulate their emotions and lead other people,” he says.

His approach is not about generic wellbeing advice, but about identifying where capacity is being lost and making practical changes that can improve performance both at work and at home.
One senior leader who worked with Jon to lose weight and improve his fitness told him the biggest benefit was his relationship with his son. He had become less tired, angry and irritable and found himself spending more time simply talking with him.
Jon’s ambition is to change the way organisations think about leadership performance and highlight the importance of protecting the capacity that allows leaders to perform at their best.
“Capability gets you the role. Capacity determines how much of that capability you can access when it matters.”

Find out more at www.virtusiumperformancehealth.co.uk or connect with Jon Betts on LinkedIn.