Minus 1: The Leadership Strategy to Beat Decision Fatigue
By Craig Johns
Feeling Mentally Exhausted by Midday? You’re not alone—and it’s not because you’re lazy. It’s because your brain is overloaded.
Every decision you make—from what to wear to how to lead—drains your cognitive fuel. The more you decide, the more fatigued and reactive you become. It’s called decision fatigue, and it’s the hidden enemy of high performance.
The Hidden Cost of Constant Decision-Making
Ever feel mentally drained before lunch? That bone-deep exhaustion isn’t just about being busy—it’s decision fatigue. Every choice you make throughout the day—what to wear, how to reply to an email, which meeting to prioritise—adds to your cognitive load. And the more decisions you pile on, the more your mental capacity erodes, leaving you tired, stressed, and less effective as a leader.
Subtract to Lead Smarter – Minus 1
High performance leadership isn’t about doing more. It’s about making room to think clearly. The Minus 1 strategy is simple: remove just one decision from your day. Ask yourself each morning: What’s one choice I can eliminate today? It could be automating your lunch, creating a meeting-free afternoon, or setting a default outfit. Fewer decisions mean more clarity, energy and focus where it really matters.
The Brain’s Breaking Point
Cognitive load, operates like a bathtub. Each decision adds a bit more water. Eventually, it overflows—and so do your stress levels. Research by Baumeister, R. F., & Tierney, J. (2011) in neuroscience shows that excessive decision-making drains the prefrontal cortex, reducing our ability to regulate emotions, solve problems, and think strategically. Leaders are especially vulnerable because they face hundreds—sometimes thousands—of micro-decisions daily.
The Obama Effect
Former President Barack Obama famously wore only grey or blue suits during his presidency. Why? He eliminated trivial decisions so he could focus on the ones that mattered. “You’ll see I wear only grey or blue suits,” he said. “I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.” That’s Minus 1 in action—protecting his cognitive capacity for decisions that shaped a nation.
What’s Your Minus 1?
As a leader, your clarity is your edge. Don’t let it be drained by decisions that don’t deserve your energy. Today, choose your Minus 1. Remove one decision, regain one degree of clarity. Lead with less. Lead with purpose.
Comment below — I’d love to hear which strategy resonated with you the most
Because the leaders who shape the future, are the ones who start the day the energy way
Craig is a 10x National Champion, International coach and CEO turned high performance leadership expert, international speaker and and Inspiring Great Leaders Podcast host.
He is the CEO & Managing Partner of Speakers Institute Corporate, a high performance leadership expert, and a leadership, high performance and workplace culture keynote speaker.
Learn more about how Craig is working with a diverse team of exceptional human beings to inspire great leaders at www.speakersinstitutecorporate.com.
Book Craig as a Keynote Speaker and learn how to become a high performing leader by going to www.craigjohns.com.au for more on the Gravity of Leadership, PRIDE, Break The CEO Code and Atomic Pressure.
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