This article, based on a workshop I delivered to the Agile community in 2025, explores how leaders make decisions under pressure and how they can approach it differently. The topic fascinates me, and leadership happens to be my daily work.
Leading in Complexity
From the perspective of neurobiology and cognitive psychology (Kahneman, Arnsten, Berger), a leader’s job resembles managing cognitive bandwidth more than strategic planning. A leader makes dozens, sometimes hundreds, of micro-decisions every day, ranging from operational to emotional, from task-level to team dynamics.
These decisions engage different modes of thinking. Daniel Kahneman, psychologist and Nobel Prize winner in economics, proposed the concept of two cognitive systems:
- System 1 – fast, automatic, and intuitive. It handles snap judgments and gut reactions. It’s energy-efficient but prone to errors.
- System 2 – slow, deliberate, and analytical. It processes information consciously, offering better accuracy, but tires quickly.
In complex environments, where cause and effect are unclear, System 1 can lead to seemingly rational but ultimately flawed decisions. System 2, though more reliable, requires effort and focus and is susceptible to fatigue [Kahneman, 2011](1).
Decision or Reaction?
In a world of constant input and pressure, many leaders don’t make decisions; they react to questions, emails, meetings, and urgent demands.
Cognitive overload, well-documented by Stanford researchers(2), is particularly common in those juggling multiple contexts. Leaders are excellent at connecting topics, but their cognitive attention is finite.
When overload kicks in, common symptoms include:
- Deterioration in decision quality
- Impulsiveness or decision paralysis
- Freeze reactions
- Defaulting to the first familiar option (confirmation bias)
It’s not that the leader doesn’t know what to do. They simply don’t have the capacity to process new input and respond wisely.
Overload Is Real. Now What?
You don’t always need to do less. Sometimes it’s enough to act differently, to reduce cognitive pressure and regain clarity. Here are a few practical strategies:
1. Sufficiency over completeness
You don’t need all the data — just enough to move forward. Seeking completeness can lead to analysis paralysis. A good decision often comes from “enough insight.”
2. Cognitive offloading
Free up your mental RAM: use lists, decision maps, checklists, boards, or delegation. Human cognition is limited — use tools to support planning and analysis. [HBR, 2025](3)
3. Four guiding questions for leaders:
-
- What do I know that really matters?
- What don’t I need to know right now?
- Who can I hand this off to?
- Is this even my decision to make?
Your Decision Style Under Pressure
Leaders often describe themselves as analytical, collaborative, or intuitive decision-makers. But under stress or time pressure, actual behavior can diverge from stated preferences.
Common unconscious styles include:
- Intuitive – fast gut decisions, driven by ease.
- Analytical – data-seeking, motivated by responsibility.
- Delaying – waiting for “the right time” or more data.
- Spontaneous – deciding just to be done with it.
- Consultative – asking everyone else, but not deciding.
Understanding your dominant style — and how it shifts in different contexts — helps you act more consciously, not habitually.
The Decision You Don’t Make
Not every decision must be made right now. In uncertain or dynamic contexts, waiting can be a mark of maturity. Leaders who hold back create space – for clarity, for team input, for conditions to evolve.
This is where cognitive agility comes in: the ability to switch between thinking modes, perspectives, and strategies. The leader who pauses isn’t passive; they’re intentional.
Leadership Debt
Just like technical debt weakens a product, leadership debt erodes culture, trust, and accountability. It’s not a single poor decision, but a buildup of silence, hesitation, and avoidance.
Common forms include:
- Unmade decisions — creating stagnation and distrust
- Unaddressed conflicts — fueling tension and dysfunction
- Delayed changes — signaling fear or passivity
- Conversations never had — that could’ve changed something
Repayment starts with honest reflection:
- What have I been postponing as a leader?
- Is my team already paying the price for my avoidance?
You can’t repay it all at once, but you can start: with one conversation, one clear decision, one act of ownership.
In closing
It’s not about making faster decisions. It’s about making more conscious ones. With reflection, with tools, and with the courage to pause.
In an era of cognitive overload, leaders need not only focus, but space. Sometimes the best decision is the one you’re still allowing to form.
Instead of chasing perfect answers, learn to ask better questions and give yourself time to hear them.
(1) Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/philosophy/system-1-and-system-2-thinking
(3) https://hbr.org/2025/04/when-youre-overloaded-and-delegating-isnt-an-option
