The Thriving CEO Playbook – How to Lead With Calm and Clarity Under Pressure
- Brainz Magazine
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
Garet Free is a best-selling author and executive coach who helps ambitious leaders stop white-knuckling their way through life and unlock authentic confidence. He blends raw yet loving honesty with transformational practices to turn self-doubt into rocket fuel for success.
What emergency medicine taught me about executive decision-making, calm leadership, and resilience under fire.
Holy shit, what am I going to do?! That thought hit me at 6 a.m. on a Sunday, finishing a 48-hour ambulance shift. Seven people had just been shot at a train station, and only two ambulances were available. As the on-duty supervisor, every eye and every life was on me.
That sinking feeling of knowing this was going to be bad had my stomach in knots, and I was exhausted on top of it all.
I took a deep breath, accepted the situation for what it was, and committed to myself that I would handle it with the poise I had left after an exhausting two days of work. Knowing I would set the tone for the scene when I arrived, I chose to stay calm and make level-headed decisions. Lives were on the line, and it was up to me to solve the problem.
When you step into leadership, whether in the streets or the boardroom, your calm becomes everyone else’s stability. All eyes are on you, and it is your job to bring order to chaos. I have been practicing this since I was in my early twenties, when I was a paramedic and got called to help people manage through what was likely the worst day of their lives.
As I have grown in my career, I have been curious about translating what I learned from my EMS days into executive decision-making so that we are conscious about the impact we are having.
When the stakes are high, these three core elements of decision-making can carry you through tense moments. You will find more balance and less polarization when it comes time to execute.
Slow down to speed up
Let it breathe, that delicate space between rushing and procrastination.
There are times when you will have to make split-second decisions. Still, unless you are doing brain surgery or at a shooting range, it is likely not an everyday occurrence that you will have to make significant decisions instantly. Today’s world bombards us with data, information, and choices, so identify when you have an opportunity to sit with it all, giving it time and space to marinate.
Consciously take space to slow down. Dedicate time to thinking. Write about it, pen to paper. Create a process that will help you consider as many angles as possible, proactively set a reasonable deadline, and hold yourself to it.
An example process:
Collect all information.
Dedicate 20 minutes of distraction-free time to think.
Dedicate 10 minutes to writing about everything you are considering in a notebook, pen to paper.
Give it time to breathe. Sleep on it.
Reread what you wrote the next day.
Write for another 10 minutes if needed.
Deliver your decision, hopefully ahead of your self-imposed deadline.
The magic is not in the steps, it is in the consistency of implementing this repeatable system. Consistency builds trust, and trust is the bedrock of execution. Hold yourself accountable to sticking to the process so you are setting the example of the intentionality you want your team to follow as they approach their work. Let them see it in action so that in the future, they know what is coming when you are responsible for the final call.
Part of your responsibility as a leader is not only to make informed decisions but also to hold yourself accountable for what you say you will do. If you say you will have a decision two days from now, stay true to your word and deliver. You owe that to your team because you will expect it from them in the future.
Slowing down to speed up is not just for significant decisions. This concept can be used for impromptu decision-making on minor matters. Instead of feeling compelled to respond instantly, pause, take a deep breath in, focus on the exhale, and allow your mind to settle. Once your mind is a bit more relaxed and organized, make your decision.
For something more complex, consider the reasonable time you need to move through the process described above, including time to bring others in to share their opinions. You may want to bring in more data or analysis, but do not kick the can down the road. “Not right now” is just as much a decision as “yes” or “no”. Providing clarity to your team is critical.
Part of the slowing-down process can be in service of getting as close to the right answer as possible. Providing feedback to your team and guiding them on how to turn a “not right now” into a “yes” or “no” is your job, so be decisive when setting timelines for yourself and your teams.
Trust your gut and the data
Analysis paralysis creeps in before you know it and brings everything to a screeching halt. It is the killer of profit margin, morale, and sustained success.
So, stop it. Take charge, trust your gut, and trust the data. Data informs decisions, but instinct drives leadership.
You will never make a perfect decision, but if you approach each decision as a learning opportunity and an opportunity to get better, that will serve you well. Instead of striving for perfection, seek a path that allows forward movement while still leaving room for course correction.
In the boardroom, it might look like trusting your first read on a hire or a product decision, before the spreadsheet formulas are polished.
Very few decisions are etched in stone forever. A decision made today can often change tomorrow. Instead of getting held up on the finality of a decision, get excited about the forward momentum you are creating. By being decisive today, you will empower those around you to keep moving forward instead of twiddling their thumbs while you contemplate one more what-if.
If you need to course correct, who cares. Do it.
It can be easy for you as a leader to get disconnected from your gut instinct because you are striving for perfection. However, trusting your gut can be one of the best tools you ever develop.
When you allow the data and recommendations to speak for themselves and trust the first gut instinct you have about the decision ahead of you, you will be right more often than not. You will not be perfect, but that is part of the process of developing your gut instinct. Just as in the previous section, go through your process for decision-making, but in the end, trust your gut.
Decision debt and calm leadership
Indecisiveness can cost you millions. Decision debt is the interest you pay on indecision. The longer you delay, the more it costs you in money, energy, and morale.
Part of the reason I am writing this article is that I noticed I was getting a little complacent with my business's decision-making. This article is helping me hold myself accountable for acknowledging when procrastination creeps in and for choosing a different course.
Just as the positive momentum I mentioned earlier can build, procrastination in decision-making can negate it and wreak havoc in your life and business. It is not worth it.
Here are some examples of the downstream effects you can avoid by making faster decisions.
Financial costs
These are the hard-dollar costs you pay for delayed decisions.
Lost revenue
Slower sales cycles
Increased operational costs
Missed opportunities
Unhappy or lost customers
Emotional costs
These are the internal taxes your mind and body incur when you hesitate.
Chronic stress and exhaustion
Lower morale
Eroding self-confidence
Dysregulated nervous system
Anxiety and mental fog
Perfectionism and self-doubt
Relational costs
These are the cultural and interpersonal costs that compound across your team.
Decreased trust from your team
Strained professional or personal relationships
Team misalignment and confusion
Increased conflict or friction
Overworking due to unclear direction
Burnout for you and your team
None of that sounds appealing, so what are you going to do today to change the pace at which you make decisions?
Develop your process, trust your gut and the data, and hold yourself accountable to deliver ahead of time.
Your personal life and your business will thank you when you cut through the sludge that builds up with decision debt. Be intentional and watch the downstream effects flip into increased revenue, better relationships, and happier customers.
Do not burn through your decision-making currency recklessly.
Wrapping it up
Showing up on a scene where seven people had gunshot wounds was a challenge in all the best ways. It was a moment where I proved to my twenty-four-year-old self that staying calm and decisively managing through the chaos was possible. It was not only possible, it was required.
In the first 5 minutes, I made at least 50 decisions that led to the quick decompression of a high-stakes situation. The only way I was able to accomplish this was by taking a deep breath before stepping out of the ambulance and going in with a laser-focused mind.
You may not be managing a scene like this, but you can maintain the poise and focus that such a situation requires. Leadership, like emergency medicine, is about creating calm inside chaos. You do not rise to the occasion, you fall back on your process.
Develop your process and use it. Your decisiveness sets the tone for success.
You have already proven you can work hard. Now it is time to work smart and win on your own terms. Ready to cut through the noise and lead with confidence? Book your Clarity Consult Call now.
Read more from Garet Free
Garet Free, Executive Transformation Coach, Bestselling Author
Garet Free is a best-selling author and executive coach who helps ambitious leaders stop white-knuckling their lives and finally unlock the confidence they’ve been searching for. Known for blending raw and loving honesty with transformational practices, he guides clients to turn self-doubt into rocket fuel for success so they can step into their next chapter with clarity and momentum. Through his writing, speaking, and coaching, Garet challenges high performers to stop settling, start leading authentically, and build a life they’re proud of.
