Clear Decision-Making Under Pressure

In this episode, we cover a practical system ER doctors use to lead through high-pressure, high-stakes moments. I walk through a high-pressure scenario and break it into repeatable steps: checking your own pulse, clearing cognitive load, committing, prioritizing with the Eisenhower Matrix, executing safely (“slow is smooth, smooth is fast”), and cycling back to reevaluate and verify. We also talk about avoiding the “rise to the occasion” myth, delegating effectively, handling shifting priorities, and closing the loop to continually improve. Clear your mental bandwidth, commit to lead, prioritize what truly matters, execute safely, and reevaluate. Simple, repeatable steps you can use anywhere chaos shows up.#EmergencyMedicine #Leadership #HighPressure #EisenhowerMatrix #Teamwork #optimizeperformance #thepittChapters00:00 — Learn to lead under pressure00:38 — High-pressure & decision making02:06 — The “rise to the occasion” myth02:36 — Check your own pulse03:56 — Commit05:27 — Prioritizing with the Eisenhower Matrix07:13 — Execute and delegate07:33 — “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast”08:18 — Reevaluate, trust-but-verify, debriefSpotify Channel:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sterlingmdphd/Social & Website:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sterlingmdphdX - https://x.com/sterlingmdphdFacebook - / sterlingmdphdNewsletter - http://eepurl.com/hQpdqTApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3y438C9References & Show Notes:http://www.nicksterling.com/This content is not medical advice, is for general information purposes only,and does not constitute the practice of medicine or any other healthcare professional services. No doctor-patient relationship is formed. This content is not a substitute for medical evaluation or treatment and does not take precedence over information provided to you by your healthcare provider or official public health sources. Please visit http://nicksterling.com/terms for full Terms of Use.