Carlos Alcaide
Where This Comes From
I didn’t start in coaching and psychology.
I started in environments where performance was expected, pressure was constant and decisions carried real consequences. Contexts where things rarely go as planned, and where consistency matters more than isolated results.
Over time, one thing became clear. The biggest challenges were not technical.
They were not about knowledge or capability. They were about how people respond when things become difficult.
The Other Side of the Same Question
Endurance sport became another way to explore that.
Training for marathons, half and full Ironman distances, and preparing over months for a single race, exposed the same pattern in a different context. The challenge was not only physical. It was in staying consistent over time, managing discomfort and continuing when motivation was no longer enough.
Different environment. Same demand. The ability to remain present, regulate your response, and keep moving forward when it’s not easy.
Connecting Both Worlds
At some point, the connection became impossible to ignore. The way I saw people deal with pressure at work mirrored how they dealt with discomfort in training. The way decisions were made under uncertainty reflected how individuals approached long-term challenges.
It stopped being about leadership on one side and sport on the other. It became about the underlying system behind both. How you think. How you regulate. How you respond.
What I Do Today
Today, I work with individuals who are navigating the point where the challenge is no longer about knowing what to do, but about staying with it when it becomes difficult.
I support people stepping into leadership, where performance shifts from individual output to how they think, decide, and show up for others in complex, demanding situations.
I support those preparing for endurance challenges — marathons, half and full Ironman, etc — where the real test is not only physical, but in the ability to stay consistent, manage discomfort and maintain clarity over time.
In both cases, the focus is the same: to develop a way of operating that holds under pressure, and does not depend on conditions being ideal.
What I Believe
I believe most people already have the capacity to do what they are aiming for. What is often missing is not ability, but stability in how they operate over time.
I don’t believe in shortcuts or in relying on motivation as a strategy. At a certain level, neither holds when pressure builds or when the process becomes demanding. What makes the difference is learning how to respond — especially when things are unclear, uncomfortable, or difficult.
Because ultimately, progress is not defined by what you do when it’s easy, but by how you respond when it’s not.
About My Background
My background combines leadership, coaching and performance.
I have spent more than a decade leading teams in high-performance environments within Amazon’s operations network, working in complex, fast-paced settings where execution and decision-making under pressure are part of the day-to-day.
I am a Civil Engineer by training, and my work has progressively evolved towards psychology and coaching. I have completed multiple certifications in leadership development and coaching, and I am currently finishing a degree in Psychology and Advance Coaching Certifications Programs aligned with the ICF credentials, with a focus on behavioural change and sustainable performance.
Endurance sport has been a constant part of that journey, both as an athlete and as a coach. I am Certified in Ironman coaching (IMU Program) and have prepared for and competed in doznes of long-distance events such as marathons and Ironman races.
I am deeply driven by the intersection of sport, self-leadership and leadership — by understanding how we lead ourselves first and how that shapes the way we lead others.
For a more detailed overview of my experience, feel free to visit my LinkedIn profile.
