Stress at record levels: People making terrible decisions putting lives and businesses at risk

Gary Fahey warns: Unrecognised stress is quietly driving poor decision-making impacting lives and workplaces

Gary Fahey, one of Australia's leading crisis intervention specialists and performance experts, is urging Australians to take a serious look at how unmanaged stress is damaging their ability to make clear decisions, in business, leadership and everyday life.

According to Fahey, many people believe they are functioning effectively under pressure when, in reality, their decision making is clouded, reactive and far from optimal.

"When you are constantly operating in a state of stress, your judgment is compromised. You react instead of reflect and respond. You micromanage when you should delegate. You agree to things you cannot deliver. And often, you make decisions based on emotion instead of strategy," Fahey said.

Fahey explained that people do not realise how bad their decisions are until they stop or flop.

"It is only when people take a proper break or begin managing their mental health that they see the true quality of the decisions they were making," he said. 

"I have worked with high performers who thought they were in control, until they took two weeks off and realised the choices they had made in the lead-up were rushed, misaligned or just plain bad."

The silent cost of poor decisions under stress

Whether it is hiring the wrong person, locking in the wrong supplier, investing in the wrong project or responding poorly to a team member, Fahey says stressed decision making has a cost and often, it is hidden.

"In leadership, the fallout from poor decisions is rarely immediate. It shows up as disengaged staff, missed opportunities or reputational erosion. In our personal lives, it shows up as regret, reactivity or burnout," Fahey said. 

Common signs of stress-driven decision making

Fahey outlines the most recognisable behaviours that indicate stress is shaping decisions more than strategy.

Saying yes when you should say no

"Stress weakens boundaries. You may agree to unrealistic deadlines, additional responsibilities or extra meetings simply to avoid conflict or to please others. This leads to overcommitment and burnout," Fahey said. 

"Someone who is actively managing stress and their mental health would be able to weigh things up clearly and make more informed and better aligned choices."

Avoiding difficult conversations

Rather than facing conflict or uncomfortable truths, leaders under pressure tend to avoid tough discussions with staff, clients or stakeholders. This often allows problems to escalate silently behind the scenes.

"People tend to avoid the difficult stuff when they are stressed because they can't cope with more challenges.  All this does is compound issues," Fahey said. 

Making rushed hiring decisions

"When you are in survival mode, the temptation is to fill vacant roles quickly just to get through the week. The result is often poor culture fits, inadequate onboarding or underperformance later on," Fahey said.

Relying on emotion over data

Stress causes the brain to narrow its focus. You might start reacting based on frustration, fear or urgency rather than considering long term goals or key metrics. Emotional decisions often lead to regret.

"Many mistakes have been made in this mental mode and often the damage caused is significant. Sometimes it can be expensive or difficult to wind back or undo," Fahey explained. 

Micromanaging others unnecessarily

"Leaders under stress may try to regain control by overseeing every small detail. This signals mistrust, stifles innovation and drives talented people away," Fahey said. 

Ignoring gut instinct or overanalysing everything

"Some people respond to stress by overthinking every decision and seeking endless validation. Others go numb to their own intuition. Either approach leads to indecision or misaligned action," Fahey said.

Pushing through mental fatigue

"Trying to stay productive when you are depleted results in errors, poor attention to detail and careless mistakes.  Stress convinces you that you cannot slow down, even when you need to," he added. 

Performance depends on recovery

Fahey, who spent years in high level government and now works with CEOs, founders, elite athletes and frontline professionals, said the most effective people he works with all understand one truth: performance excellence relies on recovery.

"You do not make your best calls when you are exhausted, anxious or disconnected. Leaders need to treat their mental health as a performance enhancer. When your brain is rested, your thinking sharpens, your perspective widens and your emotional regulation improves and that is when good decisions get made," he said.

Fahey emphasised that businesses and leaders need to shift from a crisis response mindset to a performance preparedness culture.

"Waiting until you burn out before you reset is like waiting for your engine to blow before you service the car. Recovery is not a reward. It is a requirement," he said.

About Gary Fahey

Gary Fahey is a former high-ranking officer with the Australian Federal Police, now one of the country's most in-demand crisis intervention specialists and workplace performance experts. After experiencing his own highly publicised breakdown, he founded a highly respected consultancy to help individuals and organisations navigate stress, high performance and personal resilience.

Today, he works with leaders across a broad range of industries to prevent burnout and restore performance and life balance. His clients include CEOs, athletes, first responders, entrepreneurs and everyday Australians committed to taking back control of their lives.

Garyfahey.com