Autopilot thinking, decision fatigue, and hidden cognitive biases could be sabotaging your judgment right now.
In this episode of Decisions That Count, neuroscientist Dr. Shawn Watson and co-host Michelle O’Brien sit down with leadership coach, drummer, and author Grant 'Upbeat' Bosnick to reveal science-backed tactics for reclaiming deliberate, high-impact decisions—whether you’re scaling a startup, captaining an esports team, or managing daily life.
🎙️ What You’ll Learn
- Spot & stop autopilot — recognize the tell-tale signs that your brain has slipped into default mode and how to steer it back on course.
- Beat decision fatigue — practical micro-break and “upbeat” drumming drills that reset your prefrontal cortex in minutes.- Neutralize hidden biases — familiarity bias, confirmation bias, and “captain-itis”—and why they silently warp hiring, strategy, and risk calls.
- Flow vs. autopilot — unlock productive flow states without sacrificing critical thinking.
⏱️ Chapters
0:00 Introduction
3:00 From pro drummer to global leadership coach
8:53 Biases, brain science & decision fatigue
15:03 Flow state vs. autopilot
26:20 First-choice fallacy & panel decision hacks
34:41 Leveraging AI to surface diverse viewpoints
43:52 Focus techniques you can use anywhere
52:34 Self-leadership tools & where to learn more
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Autopilot is useful for routine tasks—but disastrous for high-stakes decisions.
- Decision fatigue lives in the prefrontal cortex; short “oscillation” breaks restore performance fast.
- Diverse perspectives (including AI personas) dismantle echo chambers and sharpen outcomes.
- Flow can boost productivity up to 500 %, but leaders must still pause for conscious analysis.
- Self-leadership begins with radical self-awareness of your own biases and mental patterns.
👥 About Our Guest - Grant “Upbeat” Bosnick has spent 25 years in Asia training Fortune 500 leaders to blend rhythm with neuroscience for sharper thinking. His book Upbeat®: Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership: A bite-sized Approach Using Psychology and Neuroscience explains his trademark drumming method to help teams navigate complexity and thrive in an AI-centric future.
🔗 Connect with Grant → grantbosnick.com
🚀 Keep Your Brain in Peak Gear - Subscribe for weekly episodes packed with actionable neuroscience, follow us on your favorite platform, and share this episode with someone who can’t afford another autopilot mistake.
🧠 Hosted by neuroscientist Dr. Shawn Watson and marketer-mum-marathoner Michelle, Decisions That Count explores how science-backed insights can help you overcome decision fatigue and unlock peak performance.
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Your decisions shape your life. Make every decision count.
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