The prevailing culture of executive leadership is a flawed equation: Effort = Output.
We believe that the more hours we work, the more meetings we attend, and the more we push, the greater our performance. This perspective is not just ineffective; it is actively damaging to high-level cognitive function.
As an executive coach and someone who understands the discipline of endurance sports, I see a profound parallel: Performance is not a function of effort alone; it is a function of Stress + Rest. You cannot skip recovery in a marathon, and you cannot skip the cognitive reframe when facing a high-stakes challenge.
A marathon runner doesn't panic when they hit the "wall." They don't quit; they adjust their pacing, breathing, and internal dialogue. Senior leaders must apply the same self-mastery.
The cognitive wall: When emotion derails strategy
We all have moments where a project feels insurmountable, or a high-stakes challenge appears overwhelming. For senior leaders, these moments introduce cognitive drag that stalls entire divisions.
When we are caught in that emotional fog like stress, frustration, or the sting of a setback, our perspective narrows. We see the problem, but we lose sight of the solution, often sliding into analysis paralysis.
This emotional panic is the equivalent of the marathon runner sprinting mile 20. It drains the fuel reserves needed for the strategic finish.
The key to unlocking performance is not solving the problem faster, but re-framing it instantly to restore strategic clarity, a mental pit stop that restores pacing and purpose.
The three-frame view: Your mental pit stop
I use a powerful process called the Three-Frame View to force the brain out of the reactive, emotional state and back into the objective, strategic state. It is a tool of self-discipline, teaching you to compartmentalize the data, the causes, and the next step, just like a runner controls their stride and hydration.
When a challenge feels overwhelming, use this sequence to instantly restore energy management and resilience.
Frame 1: The data frame - hydrate with facts
The immediate emotional reaction to failure is fear. This is the moment to stop running on adrenaline and hydrate the mind with cold, neutral facts.
The first step in endurance is recognising the objective state of your body. Likewise, you must neutralise the emotional language of the setback. What is the neutral, objective evidence? This step separates subjective emotion (e.g., "This project is doomed") from verifiable fact. Facts are solvable; emotions are not.
Example: Instead of believing, "Our strategic initiative failed, it's dead," you state, "The Q4 strategic initiative is delayed by 14 days and the budget overran by 8%."
Frame 2: The cause frame - Analyse your pacing
The second temptation in a setback is self-blame ("I should have known better"). This is counterproductive; it depletes cognitive energy. A good runner doesn't blame their legs; they analyse their pacing strategy and their hydration schedule.
The cause frame requires ruthless honesty and zero blame. What specific, actionable factors created this outcome? This moves the focus from who you are (I am a failure) to what you did (My process had a gap). This identifies variables you control, making the problem solvable.
Example: Instead of saying, "I’m the Head of the Department, I failed," you state, "We underestimated the regulatory approval timeline by 20 days and failed to assign clear cross-functional ownership for stage-gate 3."
Frame 3: The outcome frame - strategise the next step
The final frame is the most critical for discipline and resilience. You cannot finish the marathon in one stride. You must define the smallest, immediate step toward the desired future.
This step breaks the overwhelming goal (fixing the entire strategic initiative) into a tactical command that initiates movement and restores a feeling of resourcefulness. It focuses all available cognitive energy on the next 100 meters, not the finish line 10 miles away.
Example: Instead of the overwhelming goal, "I need to fix the entire Q4 strategic initiative before year-end,"your strategic command is, "My next action is to schedule a 30-minute meeting with the Regulatory Lead to identify three concrete ways to compress the remaining timeline."
The Result: strategic pacing, not emotional sprinting
The problem does not disappear, but its meaning changes instantly from an unsolvable obstacle to a clear instruction set.
This disciplined shift, from paralysis to process, is the engine of executive performance. It’s the difference between a leader who burns out sprinting on adrenaline and one who applies the strategic pacing of an endurance athlete: viewing failure as expensive, vital data that accelerates the next, more resourceful move.
Former senior leader in a FTSE100 organisation, now executive coach specialising in leadership transformation through mindset, NLP, and hypnosis. I help leaders access clarity, confidence, and impact by mastering their state and energy. My role is not to give answers, but to unlock the resourcefulness already within you.
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