How can we humanize if we have no idea what’s going on up there in our brains?

To be able to truly humanize, we need to understand and raise awareness of our unique brainpower. And we have to start somewhere…

People often take the brain for granted, not realizing it orchestrates every action, thought, and feeling you experience. This vital organ is the powerhouse behind your decision-making, creativity, and daily functioning, making it essential for every aspect of our lives. Now, I hear you thinking… Why is Hatch suddenly talking about the brain? [Read the title again, then keep reading ;-P]

Neuroleadership is an innovative concept that focuses on applying principles of neuroscience, to help leaders better engage with others, connect with others and guide others.

Understanding how the brain works in the context of leadership and management improves decision making, emotional regulation, change management, and social interactions. By integrating the neuroscientific aspect of these four components, you, as a leader, can develop a more meaningful, effective, and human-centred leadership style.

Let’s take a look at decision-making…

Decision-making is one of the most important activities and responsibilities you have as a manager and/or leader, or as a mother, partner or any role in your life where your decisions matter. Effective decision-making directly impacts the performance and success of an organization, as well as employee engagement. For decisions to be made in a thoughtful way, it is crucial to seek out the appropriate information, and find a balance between rational thought and emotional responses. Understanding the neuroscience behind decision-making is a first step in gaining this awareness.

To simply explain the neuroscience behind decision-making, you can think of the brain as having several key parts that work together to help us make choices:

1. Prefrontal Cortex: This part of the brain, located at the front, is responsible for thinking, planning, and controlling impulses. It helps us weigh options, consider consequences, and make rational decisions.
2. Amygdala: The amygdala is involved in processing emotions, particularly fear and pleasure. It is located in front of the hippocampus and it can influence our decisions by adding an emotional component, making us more likely to respond quickly in situations that seem threatening or rewarding.
3. Striatum: This deep-brain area helps evaluate rewards and risks. It plays a role in our motivation and decision-making by assessing potential benefits and costs associated with different choices.
4. Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC): The ACC is involved in error detection and conflict monitoring. It helps us notice when something isn’t right and guides us to adjust our decisions accordingly.

When making a decision, these parts of the brain communicate and work together. The prefrontal cortex leads the rational evaluation, the amygdala adds emotional weight, the striatum assesses potential rewards, and the ACC helps fine-tune the choice by monitoring for errors and conflicts. By understanding the interaction between these brain areas, you can acknowledge why decisions are influenced by both rational thought and emotional responses. But let’s be honest, we don’t always make decisions in the most balanced and effective way.

For example, some common pitfalls in decision-making that arise when being too rational are over-reliance on data, overanalysis, or lack of flexibility. These pitfalls can lead to a lack of empathy and this may not be well received by the team. It is also common that when over analysing and looking for perfection, the decision gets delayed or no decision is made at all. To find the right balance it is important to seek for other people’s opinions, in an effort to gain different perspectives from an emotional and a rational viewpoint. It is never a bad idea to reflect on past decisions and understand the roles of emotions and logic, and learn from those experiences.

You can use this knowledge to create environments that support effective decision-making among team members. This includes supporting emotional intelligence, reducing stress, and encouraging consideration.

Stay curious to learn more about the brain! And take care of it!

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