Why Three is The Magic Number
You'll be singing that song all day now, sorry...
The team behind the new bestseller book The Fax Club Experiment asked me recently what my favourite number is. Without hesitation, I said three.
It wasn’t a gimmick answer or an offhand choice. I really do love the number three.
I think in threes.
I plan in threes.
I explain in threes.
There’s something deeply satisfying about it. Three has rhythm. Balance. Flow. It’s the smallest number that feels like a pattern, the first number that creates structure. Two is comparison – this or that – but three is (at least the start of…) a story.
The Power of Three in Work (and Life)
In my world, three shows up everywhere.
I present strategy in threes – vision, plan, outcome.
I always have a Plan A, B, and C running in parallel.
I love teams of three because it’s just enough to create diversity of thought without the drag of bureaucracy.
I use high / medium / low ranges in forecasts because they force clarity and conversation rather than false precision.
Even socially, three is perfect – the best number for lunch, dinner, or drinks. Two can be intense. Four can splinter. Three flows.
Why Three Feels Right (and There’s Science Behind It)
Psychologists call it “the rule of three” for a reason.
Our brains are wired to look for and remember patterns – and three is the smallest number needed to create one. Cognitive scientists talk about something called “chunking” – the way we group information into manageable units. The human brain finds it easiest to hold about three or four chunks of information at once, which is why we’re drawn to triads.
That’s also why storytelling naturally falls into three acts (beginning, middle, end), and why marketing taglines, slogans, and even jokes tend to land in threes. It’s not coincidence – it’s cognitive design.
Even in design and aesthetics, the “rule of thirds” creates visual harmony and balance. Photographers, artists, and designers instinctively know that three feels natural to the eye.
And nature agrees. Think about it:
Clover leaves grow in threes.
The primary colours – red, blue, yellow – are three.
The dimensions we live in – length, width, height – are three.
DNA’s genetic code is written in triplets of nucleotides called codons.
The world seems to speak its own three-beat rhythm.
Three Questions Away from Clarity
I also believe you’re only three questions away from 50% more clarity on almost anything – a problem, a product, a plan, a person.
Try it next time you’re stuck:
What’s really going on here?
What’s the smallest step forward?
What might I be missing?
Those three questions can unstick almost anything.
The Magic of Three
Three gives shape to chaos. It creates pace in storytelling, confidence in strategy, and harmony in design.
And in a world that often demands tens of priorities, hundreds of metrics, or thousands of data points – the number three quietly reminds us: focus, simplicity, and clarity are often the real magic.
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How to Apply “The Rule of Three” in Leadership
If three is truly the magic number, how can we use it with intent? Here are a few simple but powerful ways to bring the rule of three into how you think, lead, and communicate.
