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Your Smartest Decision Happens at a Steady Pulse
- Katja Matosevic
- Aug 6
- 2 min read
Boardroom, 9:07 a.m.
Glass walls. Neon slide glow. Air fizzing like carbonated nerves.
Across the table, a founder built for battle - brain sharp as glass - reaches for the quickest “yes.” The kind that costs a quarter’s profit.
I don’t raise my voice. I lower the room.
“One breath.”
He exhales. Shoulders sink a millimeter.
It’s small as a raindrop on hot stone and somehow it cools the whole floor.
When the body softens, the future pulls up a chair. Options we couldn’t see start waving from the edges.
This is not mysticism. It’s mechanics: amygdala downshift, prefrontal return, clarity restored.
Why “hurry” bleeds money
Urgency storms the room and swaps your strategist for a siren.
Amygdala grabs the mic.
Locus coeruleus sprays noradrenaline like confetti.
Prefrontal cortex - the grown-up at the table - steps out for “just a minute.”
Attention narrows. Time shrinks to “now.”
You buy speed. You sell clarity. You inherit cleanup.
Leadership isn’t pressure. Leadership is pressure tamed.
The 60-Second LEAD Protocol
(Regulate → Decide → Lead)
:00–:10 Exhale > Inhale
In 4. Out 6–8. A tide going out, taking the panic with it.
Parasympathetic says stand down. HRV steadies. The room widens.
:10–:30 Interoceptive Scan
Jaw → chest → gut. Name what’s loud: “iron jaw,” “humming chest.”
Label the storm and it drops a category.
:30–:50 Future-pace 24 hours
Close your eyes a heartbeat.
Ask: “What will Tomorrow-Me still stand behind when the adrenaline has left the building?”
Choose for her.
:50–:60 Language & Ownership
urgent → important
One owner. A clear timebox. Define “good-enough” so we can ship before perfection eats the budget.
Mic mantra: Panic spends. Calm saves.
The 5-Minute Meeting Opener (say it exactly like this)
30s Breath: “In for 4… long out for 6–8.”
30s One-word check-in: “One word - your state.” (Collect: “wired,” “clear,” “edgy.”)
1-line purpose: “Why we’re here: _____.”
Owner + timebox + good-enough: name them out loud.
Premortem (90s): “Imagine we failed. Write 3 reasons.”
– 45s silent write → 30s popcorn, one bullet each.
– Pick two mitigations. Assign owners.
Stop rule (30s): “We end at : or when criteria A/B are met.”
10s exhale: seal the state. Execute.
Premortem = future autopsy. We hunt the cracks before the glass hits the floor.
Two scenes from the field
Pricing wobble (B2B SaaS)
The room’s ready to carve 20% “to close today.”
Breath. Scan (jaw like granite). Future-me hates the hangover.
Owner: Finance. Timebox: 45 min. Good-enough: margin ≥ 62%, SLA ≤ 2h.
Outcome: price holds; we sweeten with onboarding support. Revenue intact. Dignity intact.
Hiring pressure (Series A)
Two finalists. Clock tap-tapping like rain on tin.
Breath. Scan (chest buzz = fear of delay). Premortem flags culture miss, mushy ramp.
Mitigations: values interview; 30-60-90; named mentor.
Outcome: confident offer, stable 90-day ramp. No revolving door.
Metrics that move (watch 30 days)
Reversals ↓ • Rework hours ↓ • Time-to-decision ↓ • Meeting overruns ↓ • Team calm score ↑
Calm isn’t a vibe. Calm is an operating system.
Your closer (stand and say it)
One breath. One owner. One timebox.
Regulate - then decide.
We don’t buy speed anymore. We buy clarity.
Download the Pre-Decision Protocol
(1-pager + 5-minute meeting opener + rollout +
metrics with examples) your team can laminate.
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