Great Leaders Don’t Make More Decisions. They Make Fewer. On Purpose.
When I book flights, I don’t study the seat map. I don’t compare rows. I don’t weigh the pros and cons of 14C versus 15D like I’m negotiating a merger.
I use a system:
First flight: first available aisle seat on the left.
Next flight: first available aisle seat on the right.
Rinse and repeat.
Does this system make perfect sense? Not really.
Has it dramatically improved my life? Nope. I am still getting the same tiny bag of pretzels as everyone else.
What it does do is save me from making one more decision—and that matters more than you might think. The more decisions we make, the more our mental energy gets depleted. By the time we reach the decisions that actually require clarity, judgment, and steadiness, we’re tired.
Psychologists call this decision fatigue. Leaders experience it as overthinking, procrastinating, or feeling strangely stuck on things that should be simple.
Leaders need to protect their ability to keep making good decisions. Not every choice deserves equal attention. The more routine decisions you can automate, simplify, or standardize, the more capacity you preserve for the moments that truly require leadership.
Here are a few practical ways to do that:
Limit your options. Too many choices create analysis paralysis. Narrow the field to two or three viable options—enough to evaluate thoughtfully, but not so many that you stall.
Give yourself a decision deadline. Without one, decisions expand to fill all available time. A clear endpoint—even a self-imposed one—creates momentum.
Use “good enough” as a filter. Waiting for the perfect answer is one of the fastest ways to waste energy. Ask, “Is this option good enough to move forward confidently?” If the answer is yes, it's time to decide. Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good.
The goal is to make fewer unnecessary decisions so you have the focus to lead well when it counts.
Energy saved is leadership sustained.