Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey is a Subtraction Strategist, keynote speaker, Forbes Senior Contributor, and creator of the Lead in 3D framework. Harvard-trained in psychology and educated by horses, Nell helps high-performing, big-hearted leaders find success that feels as good as it looks. With a career spanning global humanitarian work across four continents, elite education at Harvard, Columbia Business School, Cambridge, and Università di Roma III, she brings a rare blend of systems thinking, compassion, and real-world leadership experience. As faculty at EQUUS and co-founder of the Purposeful Growth Institute, Nell specialises in equine-assisted learning and purpose-driven leadership development. Her core frameworks — Stop–Drop–Roll and 3D Leadership (ME, WE, WORLD) — give leaders a practical way to do less, matter more, and lead without burning out.
In this conversation, Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey discusses the concept of subtraction as a strategy for enhancing productivity and well-being. She emphasizes the importance of reducing unnecessary tasks and focusing on what truly matters, drawing insights from her experiences and the natural world, particularly horses. The discussion covers the societal inclination towards 'more' and how this can lead to burnout, the principle of diminishing returns, and practical steps for implementing subtraction in daily life. Nell also addresses the challenges of corporate culture and the need for a shift in mindset towards systems thinking.
Speaker Links
Here's the 90 day guestpass for your listeners to come check out the Daily Subtraction Practice, on me: https://nell3d.substack.com/guestpass
Website: nell3d.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nell3d/
CTA Link: https://nell3d.kit.com/stopdroproll (free Stop–Drop–Roll one-pager)
Recorded Date and Location
Date: 19/02/2026
Guest Location: Greenwich, CT, United States
Thanks for listening to ProductiviTree! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share.
Take the New Productivity Test: https://links.santiagotacoronte.com/Productivity-Assessment
Connect with me:
Have questions or suggestions? Email us at info@santiagotacoronte.com
Connect with the host:
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiago-tacoronte/
• https://santiagotacoronte.com/
