🧠 Most leaders I work with think clarity comes from pushing harder…But the brain doesn’t work like a machine 🤖
- Olly Bridge
- Dec 17, 2025
- 2 min read
We often assume that better decisions come from more effort…More hours…More thinking…More grit.
In reality, sustained decision quality depends far more on recovery than effort.
Here’s the reframe 👇
Your brain is a biological system, not a spreadsheet…and like any system, it degrades under continuous load. 🪫
The science is very clear.
🧪 What the research shows
Decision-making draws heavily on the prefrontal cortex. This region is highly sensitive to fatigue, stress and sleep loss.
• Prolonged cognitive load is associated with reduced executive function and poorer judgement (McEwen & Morrison, 2013 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23849196/)
• Sleep restriction impairs risk assessment, emotional regulation and impulse control, even when motivation remains high (Killgore, 2010 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21075236/)
• Chronic stress shifts the brain away from reflective thinking towards reactive, habitual responses (Arnsten, 2009 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19455173/).
In short…
When recovery is missing, leaders don’t lose intelligence…they just lose access to it.
🔍 What this means for real leaders
Under pressure, the risk isn’t making no decisions…it’s making fast, narrow, emotionally driven ones.
The fix isn’t dramatic, it’s practical.
Small shifts that matter:
😴 Protect sleep before big decision days
⏸️ Insert short cognitive breaks between meetings, not just at the end of the day
⏰ Do complex thinking earlier, not when your brain is already depleted
🧠 Treat recovery as a leadership skill, not a reward
🌱 The deeper truth
Sustainable performance isn’t about being relentless, it’s about being regulated.
The leaders who last aren’t the toughest, they’re the ones who understand their biology… and work with it.
This is exactly the work we do every day at @Essentio Health and @Build a Bridge – Live Your Best Life.
Helping leaders protect their clarity, energy and impact for the long game.
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