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Ever wonder how someone managing half a trillion dollars daily avoids complete burnout? The secret isn’t what most people think – it’s not about eliminating stress, but optimizing it.
The most successful leaders embrace a shocking truth: they lose almost half the time.
I discovered something counterintuitive through this interview: your peak performance doesn’t happen at zero stress. Different tasks require different stress levels to unlock your best work. A powerlifter needs high activation for maximum output, while a chess player performs optimally at lower stress levels. Understanding your personal stress curve changes everything about how you approach challenges.
Sebastian’s journey from nearly dying due to goal-induced blindness to mastering stress allocation reveals why so many high achievers burn out. They’re not necessarily doing too much – they’re doing too little of what actually matters. When you separate the signal from the noise, stress becomes a tool rather than a burden.
This conversation dives deep into the neuroscience of decision-making under pressure, team-level flow states, and why your brain burns 6,000 calories during intense mental work. Sebastian also shares his exact protocols for managing decision fatigue, from his wardrobe automation to breathing techniques before high-stakes TV appearances outlined in his book The Psychology of Leadership: Timeless principles to improve your management of individuals, teams… and yourself!
