He works in the government and according to Sherlock , his brother Mycroft 's powers of deduction are even better than his own so that again and again Mycroft 's word has decided national policy . Mycroft has a unique civil service position as a kind of memory-man or walking database for all aspects of government policy . Mycroft is described as even more gifted than Sherlock in matters of observation and deduction , but he lacks Sherlock 's drive and energy , preferring to spend his time at ease in the Diogenes Club , described as `` a club for the most un-clubbable men in London . ''