The Hidden Cost of Clutter: Why Great Leaders Eliminate the Clutter that Blocks Success

Written By Sharalyn Payne

Listen on Apple | Listen on Spotify

Clutter is not about “too much stuff.” It is postponed decisions, unprocessed emotion, and misaligned priorities silently draining leadership capacity. In this transformational conversation, Barbara Hemphill shares how eliminating clutter physically, emotionally, and spiritually restores clarity, strengthens discernment, and increases execution power.

For leaders carrying enterprise-level responsibility, this episode reframes organization as a strategic discipline that protects focus, reduces stress, and amplifies impact.

Key Takeaways:

  • Clutter Is Deferred Decision-Making.
    What we avoid compounds. According to research from the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, visual clutter competes for attention and reduces cognitive performance. Leaders who decide quickly and intentionally reclaim mental bandwidth for strategy and innovation.

  • Your Environment Reflects Your Leadership.
    Barbara’s Productive Environment Process® teaches that everything in your space must serve a purpose and support your highest priorities. If it doesn’t, it’s costing you clarity.

  • Pain Can Become Platform.
    After a season in a mental hospital, Barbara chose not to hide, but to heal and rebuild. Transformation begins when we confront the truth and take ownership of our next step.

  • Faith and Focus Are Connected.
    Clutter, internal or external, can dull spiritual sensitivity. Margin is not weakness; it is strength. Leaders who create space hear more clearly and decide more wisely.

  • Legacy Is Built Through Hope.
    Barbara’s desire for her tombstone to read, “She gave others hope,” reminds us that impact is not measured by accumulation, but by elevation.

Resources & Mentions

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Call to Action

If this episode challenged you, share it with a leader who is carrying too much—physically, emotionally, or strategically.

Don’t forget to subscribe to The Game Changer with Dr. Sharalyn on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite platform.

For consulting inquiries, speaking engagements, or to bring Dr. Payne into your organization email leadership@smpistrategies.com.

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Sharalyn Payne
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