Human Durability, Leadership & Surviving the Impossible

About this episode

Derrick McManus shares his extraordinary story of survival and the principles of human durability in high-pressure situations.

In this gripping episode, Maryanne speaks with Derrick McManus, former STAR Group officer and founder of the Australian Centre for Human Durability. In 1994, Derrick was shot fourteen times in less than five seconds during a high-risk operation. He then spent three hours bleeding on the ground before rescue. His survival and his extraordinary return to elite duties, defied all medical and psychological predictions. Derrick shares the strategies, mindset, emotional conditioning, and deep personal responsibility that made the impossible possible. Together, they explore: - The world-first framework of Human Durability - How to prepare for extreme challenge - The psychology of crisis, survival & recovery - Leadership in high-pressure, high-consequence environments - And how to build internal capacity that sustains long-term performance This is not just a story of survival, it’s a masterclass in the human potential we rarely see. ---------- Follow Maryanne for updates here: www.maryannekatsidis.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannekatsidis/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryannekatsidisadvisor Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannekatsidis/ By accessing…

People in this episode

Host: Maryanne Katsidis

Guest: Derrick McManus

Topics covered

• human durability
• leadership
• survival
• psychology of crisis
• high-pressure environments
• personal responsibility

Keywords

• survival
• leadership
• human durability
• crisis psychology
• emotional conditioning
• performance
• extreme challenge

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Australian Centre for Human Durability

More episodes of Heart-Led Changemakers

• Why I Named It More Than You're Saying · June 5, 2026 · 4 min
• What Creativity Actually Does · May 29, 2026 · 1h 31m
• When You Stop Performing · May 22, 2026 · 8 min
• The Courage in This Work · May 8, 2026 · 60 min
• When the Same Pattern Comes Back · April 24, 2026 · 5 min
• Leading with Purpose in Complexity · April 10, 2026 · 49 min