can’t promise you the moon… but knows the people who can
13 Minutes to the Moon
I presented this award-winning podcast on the teamwork behind the Apollo 11 moon landing
audio & tv
bbc
teams
will take you to the edge of chaos and watch how you perform
Minute 6
My latest book finds counter-intuitive insights in the ways that high-performance teams navigate the unknown, and succeed against the odds.
books
teams
is the kind of grown-up who lectures children
How to Survive in Space
I gave the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 2015, and told children how to launch a rocket, use a Geiger counter, and recycle urine (and drink it).
live speaking
bbc
for kids
books
teams & systems
Sep 2026: My new book is out now published by Penguin
Minute 6
An essential survival guide for an uncertain world
I’ve observed teams, interrogated systems, and learnt lessons from my own experience flying as a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service doctor, working with NASA’s human spaceflight programme, and being part of the UK’s frontline response to major incidents and terror attacks. Minute 6 uses those stories of challenges across medicine, aviation and spaceflight to provide counter-intuitive insights into how the best teams and organisations succeed: distribute leadership, defer to expertise, delegate authority, fail gracefully, embrace complexity, and balance humans and technology.
Above all, never lose sight of the humans in the loop, and stay right at the edge of chaos!
What people have said about Minute 6
‘One of the clearest and most human examinations I’ve read of how people and organizations adapt under pressure when the stakes are highest. This book belongs on the shelf of every leader responsible for others in uncertain environments’
Gen. Stanley McChrystal
‘For anyone seeking to understand how high-performance teams truly navigate uncertainty — whether in space, healthcare, or any complex system — this book is invaluable guide and a powerful testament to the human spirit’
Tim Peake
‘Inspiring tales of people at their very best, told with humility and humanity. A moving reminder of the resilience, courage and hope that carry us through life’s toughest moments — and of our remarkable capacity to keep moving forward’
Olivia Colman