Ironman CEO Climbed the 7 Summits! But His Biggest Lesson Wasn't at the Top

Scott DeRue has climbed Mount Everest, completed the Seven Summits, led global businesses through crisis and now serves as CEO of Ironman. In this episode of Going Mental, Scott shares the leadership lessons he learned on the world's highest mountain, why reaching the summit is often the easy part and how high performers navigate uncertainty, risk, and pressure. We dive into Scott's journey from a small town in North Carolina to becoming a professor, business leader, Everest climber and ultimately the CEO of Ironman. Along the way, we explore purpose, resilience, decision-making under extreme conditions and why the most meaningful growth happens outside your comfort zone. Scott also reflects on what it means to "go mental"— not as losing control, but as finding clarity and focus when everything around you feels chaotic. Enjoy this episode! PILLAR Performance provides science-backed, clinically dosed micronutrition designed specifically for endurance athletes. Their supplements focus on optimizing recovery, sleep, and immunity without unnecessary fillers. If you want to give it a try, use the code GOINGMENTAL at pillarperformance.shop — or, for North American listeners, at TheFeed.com. That’s GOINGMENTAL for 15% off your first purchase.