Leaders face their greatest tests when plans change, pressure builds, and confidence wavers. In those moments, moving forward often depends less on eliminating uncertainty and more on choosing how to respond.
Alex Weber explored that idea during Unstoppable, the opening keynote at RTO World 2026. Weber, an American Ninja Warrior host and competitor, award-winning speaker, and author of Unstoppable, drew from his experiences in athletics, entertainment, and coaching to challenge rent-to-own (RTO) leaders to consider how they respond to setbacks and how those responses influence the people around them.
Resilient Leadership Starts With Commitment
Weber framed one of the most important choices people face during difficult moments in simple terms: quit or commit.
Quitting, he explained, does not always mean walking away. People can continue showing up while gradually holding back their effort, ambition, or belief in what they can accomplish. Commitment means choosing to keep moving toward something important even when you do not yet feel confident.
“The biggest commitment you must keep is your commitment to yourself,” Weber said.
Rather than waiting for confidence before taking action, Weber encouraged attendees to focus on what they can do now. Each action creates evidence of progress, and that progress can build the confidence needed to tackle the next challenge.
Strong Leaders Seek Support
Commitment does not require leaders to accomplish everything alone. Weber described community as an important part of overcoming challenges and pursuing ambitious goals.
When Weber needed to improve his performance on American Ninja Warrior, he sought out people who already performed at the level he wanted to reach. That decision required what he described as both “hunger and humility”: the desire to improve paired with a willingness to ask for advice and learn from others.
Rent-to-own leaders can apply that same approach to their own development. Asking questions, learning from peers, and building relationships with people who have faced similar challenges can provide accountability, perspective, and practical ideas.
Own Your Impact as a Leader
Weber also drew leadership lessons from his experience coaching high school lacrosse. When he unexpectedly stepped into the role of interim head coach, he initially struggled with his own confidence. As he watched his athletes encounter their own doubts and challenges, however, he recognized those feelings and connected them to difficulties he had already faced. Those experiences, he explained, helped him lead with greater empathy.
His first leadership principle was to “own your impact.”
“Never underestimate the power that your presence has,” Weber said.
Employees notice more than the major decisions their leaders make. They also take cues from everyday words, reactions, and behaviors. Weber encouraged leaders to recognize how the way they speak and show up influences the people and culture around them.
He then gave attendees three practical questions to consider: Who needs encouragement or coaching? Who needs a challenge to give more? And who simply needs someone to check on them?
That last question broadens leadership beyond performance alone. Sometimes a leader needs to start a conversation focused not on results, but on the person responsible for producing them.
Focus on What’s Important Now
Leaders rarely have the luxury of addressing one challenge at a time. Weber offered a simple question for maintaining focus amid competing demands: “What’s important now?”
The question asks leaders to identify what deserves their attention in the present moment instead of allowing every frustration or distraction to consume equal energy. RTO leaders who balance customers, employees, store operations, and performance expectations can use that discipline to keep their attention on the decisions and relationships that matter most.
Weber also encouraged leaders to remain mindful of how they react under pressure. Leaders cannot avoid every challenge or eliminate uncertainty, but they can choose where they direct their attention and energy.
Together, Weber’s lessons offer a practical approach to resilient leadership: commit before confidence arrives, learn from others, recognize your impact on the team, and focus on what matters most right now.
For RTO leaders, becoming “unstoppable” does not mean avoiding setbacks or uncertainty. It means continuing to show up with purpose, learn through challenges, support the people around you, and make the next commitment that moves you forward.
APRO members can watch the full Unstoppable opening keynote replay for more of Weber’s stories and leadership lessons from RTO World 2026.
