For many high-achievers – leaders, founders, executives – the drive to succeed is built into our DNA. We strive not just for achievement but for significance. We want to optimize our performance, lead with impact, and build something that matters. And many of us do. We earn the accolades, reach the milestones, and exceed expectations. Yet somewhere along the way, a quiet discomfort begins to creep in.
It’s not failure. It’s not even burnout. At least not yet. It’s more elusive than that. A subtle but persistent sense that something is off. Something is missing. Just one percent, maybe. But it’s noticeable. And it won’t go away.
I call this “The Missing 1%.”
It’s the part of success that can’t be earned by doing more. It doesn’t show up in your KPIs or performance reviews. You can’t access it through better time management or another promotion. The Missing 1% is what makes success feel sustainable, and makes your life feel like yours.
The Problem with More
We live in a culture that worships more. More output. More revenue. More visibility. More impact. And while those things can be good, they often become addictive, until we’re investing more time, more energy, and more of ourselves into work that no longer feels aligned.
That’s where the trap lies. Because for so many high-performing professionals, the path that brought success is the very one that’s keeping them from fulfillment. We’ve been taught to overdeliver, to add value at every turn, to be the one who anticipates needs before they’re named.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the final 1% – that sense of integrity, ease, and joy – rarely comes from adding more. It comes from subtracting.
Subtraction as a Leadership Strategy
Subtracting doesn’t mean giving up. It means letting go of what no longer fits. It means cutting the good in service of the essential. It means saying no – clearly and courageously – in order to say yes to what actually matters.
This isn’t a productivity hack. It’s a paradigm shift.
The best leaders I know aren’t the ones who do the most. They’re the ones who discern most clearly. They subtract distractions, obligations, and old definitions of success. They carve out space for presence, strategy, and the invisible but vital work of alignment.
The 3D Lens: Why Alignment Is Non-Negotiable
In my Lead in 3D framework, I guide leaders to align their time and energy across three dimensions: ME (personal wellbeing), WE (team performance and relational trust), and WORLD (broader contribution and legacy). When one of these is out of sync, we feel it.
Sometimes we’re overinvesting in performance (WE), at the expense of personal wellbeing (ME). Other times, we’re so focused on purpose (WORLD) that we forget to pause and recalibrate what success looks like right now. The key isn’t to balance these equally at all times. It’s to align them consciously, so that each one reinforces the others.
And that means making hard choices. Because there’s always more you could do for your clients, your company, your cause. But what’s most aligned, what actually moves the needle, requires subtraction.
A Personal Example: The Week Before Vacation
Earlier this month, I found myself staring down a short week. I was heading out of town midweek for a long-overdue holiday. And like many leaders, I had packed my calendar to the brim, trying to squeeze seven days of work into three.
But when I stepped back, I realized something had to give. Not everything could fit. So I made choices. I protected the time I had scheduled for a morning ride at the barn. That time with the horses isn’t just self-care – it’s where some of my best insights emerge. It’s part of how I serve my clients. It connects my ME and WE and WORLD all at once.
So instead of scrambling to send one more round of outreach emails or push forward a dozen pending to-dos, I focused on the three most aligned priorities: finalizing my book proposal, releasing the next version of our 3D diagnostic, and spending time in the barn. Everything else could wait.
And that clarity? It didn’t cost me performance. It unlocked it.
Subtracting the Invisibles
Some of the most powerful subtractions aren’t even on your to-do list. They’re habits, beliefs, or rituals you perform without question. Checking the numbers for the third time this week. Sitting in on a meeting where your presence isn’t really necessary. Responding to emails that could wait. Or not be sent at all.
These small invisibles consume precious energy and prevent the deeper, generative work from getting your best attention. What if you subtracted just one of them this week? What might open up?
A Closing Invitation
The Missing 1% isn’t missing because you haven’t worked hard enough. It’s missing because you haven’t stopped long enough. And when you do – when you pause, subtract, and realign – what emerges is a kind of success that feels like you.
So take the risk. Subtract to succeed. And let me know what you find on the other side.
If you’re wondering where your leadership system might be out of alignment, this quick diagnostic offers a surprising lens—and helps uncover what’s ready to be subtracted.