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Even with endless productivity tools, many executives still end the day mentally exhausted—not because of workload alone, but because their brains are being used in ways they weren’t designed for.
A new piece from Harvard Business Review contends that most leaders are over-relying on the prefrontal cortex—the part responsible for focus, decision-making and planning—which fatigues rapidly under pressure, distraction and nonstop urgency. The result is cognitive burnout disguised as poor performance.
The fix isn’t just breathing exercises or better time blocking—it’s redesigning the work environment to create space for synthesis, perspective, reflection, creativity and strategic thinking. That means structured recovery time, fewer reactive meetings, intentional mental “mode switching,” and simplifying systems so teams aren’t inundated with constant internal inputs.
It’s a leadership framework built around cognitive sustainability—relevant as companies battle talent strain, burnout risk and the pressure to make better decisions in volatile economic conditions.
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