Rob Kalwarowsky

MIT alum. NCAA athlete. Engineer. High-performer in his native Canada. Rob Kalwarowsky had it all. So why was he depressed? The chaos inside his organization was matched by an internal talk-track that was leaving him confused, frustrated and ready to end it all.

But from depression came transformation: a powerful journey to self-leadership, acceptance and clarity that led beyond the toxic leadership and negative thinking that had stolen his focus. Confronting the personal and professional demons of chaos, Rob uncovered a proven way to help anyone (and any team) to enhance performance in the midst of uncertainty.
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By accessing new perspectives on self-leadership, his strategies help companies and high-growth business leaders to rise above the unpredictability of our times. A coach and TEDx keynote speaker, Rob capitalizes on chaos with multi-billion dollar international companies, entrepreneurs, executives and aspiring leaders.

What inspired you to write Capitalizing on Chaos, and why do you feel this message is particularly relevant now?
The inspiration came from my own story. I had all the external markers of success—a great career, an incredible partner, financial stability—but on the inside, I was suffering from depression, suicidal ideation and panic attacks. My inner world was pure chaos, even when the outside wasn’t.  In 2025, we live in a world of unprecedented levels of chaos; in business, in the economy, in politics and in technology. My book provides a roadmap to master the chaos within so you can lead yourself, your family and your business in the best ways regardless of the chaos in the world.

You emphasize that chaos is not just external, but also a state of mind. Can you explain what that means for leaders and professionals?
Have you ever seen a person (athlete, musician, speaker, leader, etc.) perform at their very best when it seemed like everything was falling apart around them?  It’s a state of mind.  Internally, they are calm regardless of the chaos around them.  When your brain feels chaos, it gets stressed resulting in the fight or flight response.  This response not only makes you a worse leader for yourself but also for your families and businesses.  For leaders, this shows up as your internal talk track—the judgmental voice, the constant pressure, the war within. When you are able to find inner clarity and a sense of calm, you can lead in innovative, human-centric ways regardless of what's happening around you.

How does your background as an MIT alumnus, NCAA athlete, and TEDx speaker inform your approach to leadership during disruption?
I come from a background where performance is everything.  High-stakes and competition were part of my day-to-day.  I learned to cultivate a mindset that delivers in the biggest moments regardless of what’s going on around me.  As a leader, you can learn how to do that too through my tools and strategies.  In today’s high stakes business world, can you afford to be the leader who folds in chaos?  What would it feel like if you were growing while your competition turtles in fear?

In your book, you discuss the “human operating system.” Can you break down what that concept entails and why it’s important?
I define the "human operating system" as the core beliefs, patterns, and internal voices that govern our thoughts and actions. It's the "software” you run on and for the most part, you’re unaware of what it’s doing. It’s mostly formed during your childhood so it’s not up to date with your current life.  Would you let your phone or laptop run on an operating system that was created 30-50 years ago?  
By understanding your human operating system, you can selectively perform updates to whichever core beliefs, patterns and internal parts that are outdated.  You can design your psychology to support your personal, professional and business goals regardless of any chaos around you.

How do you help leaders develop resilience in high-pressure and rapidly changing environments?
Resilience isn't about being invincible; it's about your ability to respond and recover when you get hit. The real work of building resilience starts internally. I help leaders understand their own "human operating system" to identify the patterns and voices that are draining their energy. By getting to know your inner parts (like the inner critic, people-pleaser, judge, imposter, etc.), you stop fighting with yourself. This releases the energy that was once consumed by internal chaos, allowing you to stay centered and respond to external pressure with clarity instead of fear.

​Can you share an example of a business or individual who successfully applied the principles in your book to overcome chaos?
In 2024, I worked with a CEO who was working incredibly hard to scale his business.  His business had been stuck at $3 million/year in revenue and he was working long hours, weekends and on vacation to scale.  He was frustrated, burning out and unhappy at the lack of results and how he was unable to spend time with his family.  He had internal chaos and it spread into his business.

Through coaching, the CEO was able to become a Self-led leader, reducing internal chaos.  This allowed him to implement the team leadership strategies that we worked on to engage his team, empower them in their roles and focus on scaling his business through people, processes and technology.  

What were the results?  In 2025, his business is on track to do $11 million in revenue, he spends more time with his family and he’s gotten back into working out for his physical health.  The CEO feels more successful, happier, healthier and his business is thriving.

Emotional intelligence is a recurring theme in your work. How can leaders cultivate it to better navigate uncertainty?
Emotional intelligence is born from self-discovery.  One of my favorite quotes is from a Jamaican spiritual teacher, Mooji who says “step into the fire of self-discovery.  The fire will not burn you, it will burn what you are not.”

You are not fear, you are not the parts that take control when you are stressed.  You can start by being aware of your emotions, leaning into them with curiosity (why are you feeling the way you do?  What is it trying to tell you?) and acknowledging them.  

A quick strategy, when you feel stressed, fear, uncertainty, anger, etc., is to take a deep breath and say to yourself “I’m Human”.  Just by doing that, you will reduce your stress and activate the ability for you to give compassion to the parts of you that are signaling to you (through emotions) that you’re in chaos.  Using that tool will help you make better decisions, innovate and thrive in disruption.

What are the most common mistakes executives make when responding to disruptive change, and how can they avoid them?
The single biggest mistake is trying to manage external chaos without first addressing the chaos within. Executives often believe that by controlling every detail or overworking themselves, they can feel safe. But that just creates a vicious cycle of fear and burnout.  You can avoid this by first acknowledging your internal state and then focusing on what you can control: your own thoughts, emotions, and actions. This puts you back in the driver's seat, allowing you to lead your team from a place of clarity, perspective and confidence.

How do you define “self-leadership,” and why is it critical in both professional and personal contexts?
Self-leadership is the ability to create inner peace & tranquility regardless of the chaos around you.  It's the moment you realize that your internal critic, your inner child, or your people-pleaser aren't enemies—they are parts of your system trying to keep you safe. By listening to them, you stop fighting with yourself and are able to choose your next action from your best judgment.  You, as Self, are the only one who has all of the information and, by leading your parts, you will be the one at the helm.  This is critical because you can’t truly lead a team or a company if you can't first lead yourself with integrity and purpose.

Your coaching incorporates frameworks like Internal Family Systems. How do these psychological approaches enhance leadership development?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a powerful tool because it helps leaders understand that their inner world is made up of different "parts"—the inner critic, the people-pleaser, the overworked achiever and many more. By engaging with these parts with compassion instead of judgment, you build internal alignment. Using IFS, you can see results very quickly, sometimes even in the first session!  This inner work eliminates the inner chaos and frees up your energy to lead with greater presence, empathy, and resilience.  Your team models you and this inner work makes your team more innovative, productive and happier.  

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Website: ​https://www.robkalwarowsky.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bosscoachrobk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-kalwarowsky
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveCoachRobK

Purchase the book here:
https://www.amazon.com/Capitalizing-Chaos-Executives-Succeed-Disruption/dp/B0FM4KV2DR