Sleep is often treated as the remaining time after everything important has been completed. I once thought of it mainly as recovery from the day that had passed. I now see it equally as preparation for the day ahead.
After insufficient sleep, the world may not change — but my interpretation of it can. A manageable problem feels heavier. Patience becomes shorter. A disagreement appears more personal. Confidence may remain even when judgement has become less reliable.
For leaders, this matters because other people live with the consequences of our decisions. AI may help us analyse more information, but it cannot fully compensate for the condition of the person deciding what that information means.
Protecting sleep is not withdrawing from responsibility. It is preparing to carry responsibility with a clearer mind.
Tomorrow’s decisions begin long before the meeting; they begin with how we protect the night before.