Neuroleadership: 4 ideas on the brain bases of leadership

Virtually any field of human behavior has a neurobiological facet, which can be studied by investigating the functioning of the brain. However, this area of ​​research does not focus only on the mental processes of the individual isolated from his environment, but also includes the way in which the environment influences our networks of neurons, and vice versa.

That's why neuroleadership exists, a concept that refers to the part of leadership and team management that has to do with what we know about the human brain.

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The relationship between the brain and leadership: 4 keys

Here you will find several key ideas that help to understand how the functioning of the brain is related to the way leaders act, according to neuroleadership principles.

1. The importance of emotional memory

The last decades of research into the neurobiological bases of memory have shown us that the emotional part of memories works in a different way to the way in which we "file" in our brain the most rational and easy to explain verbally.

This means, among other things, that the intensity of the memory of an emotion does not have to be the same as that of the memory of an idea, sentence or reasoning. In fact, the emotional imprint is usually more lasting than the one that is expressed through concrete ideas and words.

In practice, our attitudes towards a person depend not on what beliefs we have about him, but on the emotions and sensations that it produces in us due to the times we have come into contact with it in the pastAlthough we do not remember exactly what happened in those meetings.

For this reason, the emotional tone of a dialogue is usually as or more decisive than the pure content of what is said to the time to leave a good memory in people and make it easier for our points of view to be taken very seriously account. The same conversation can cause leadership to emerge or not, depending on the way in which it is spoken, the content of what is said being the same.

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2. The delay of gratification

The ability to forego immediate rewards in order to qualify for mid- to long-term rewards is one of the most useful psychological abilities when it comes to achieving ambitious goals, which are those that large teams that coordinate with each other can aspire to.

Putting the focus on the individual (and more specifically, on his brain), this mental characteristic has to do with the way in which the frontal lobes counteract the influences that the limbic system has when establishing action plans. While the frontal lobes are involved in socialization and the conceptualization of abstract goals, the limbic system is much more passionate and individualistic.

This means that those who have developed frontal lobes that are more connected to the rest of the brain tend to have greater facilities to resist the temptations and invest time and effort in reaching objectives, which is fundamental in leaders both to avoid making projects fail and to give example.

3. communication resources

The ability to communicate using language is the defining characteristic that sets us apart from animals, and for good reason. Thanks to this symbol-based tool, we can involve a practically unlimited number of people in the same action, contributing to reach an agreement to achieve a common goal.

For example, thanks to the development of language through a reorganization of the cerebral cortex, it was possible to establish primitive trade networks and hunt in groups, and The expansion of this kind of skills from writing gave way to the great civilizations with cities in which social and cultural life took place. centralized.

In the world of organizations, communication resources have an equally essential role; Although it seems that everyone has to be clear about what to do, the truth is that in most cases this very individual approach to work creates unnecessary problems and limits the ability of groups and teams to grow.

Learning the most important tools to communicate taking into account the context and non-verbal language is key for the flow communication of a company or team goes in favor of the general functioning of the entity, and not against it by feeding ambiguities and misunderstandings Leaders must act as facilitators of this communication network within a team, so that ideas can be expressed and doubts can be resolved on time.

4. The keys to group identity

Leaders have to be able to transmit the values ​​and ideas on which an organization is based, regardless of whether it is formal or informal. And in this regard it is necessary to take into account that human beings perceive the elements as a whole, without valuing its individual elements separately.

For example, if in a company where it is constantly said that cooperation is the key value of the organization, there is a architecture and design of spaces that denote strong separations between ranks and a tendency towards elitist exclusivity in some areas, the The result will not be that workers will have a balanced perception of the entity by having the impression that an element is balanced with the other; on the contrary, they will believe that there are great inconsistencies in the operation of the company.

That's why, Leaders must act as Public Relations from the outside, but also from the inside, so that there is a clear organizational philosophy that is reflected without inconsistencies both in the way of working and in the aesthetics of the resources used.

How to train in neuroleadership?

This is an exciting field of research and intervention, and for this reason it is not surprising that there are already initiatives aimed at deepening the relationship between leadership and neurosciences.

Specific, the Specialization Course in Neuroleadership taught by the Institut de Formació Continua-IL3 (Universitat de Barcelona) gives the possibility of learning from the hand of an expert teacher in the field about topics as varied and useful as stress management, emotional regulation, and others. It has 3 ECTS credits, and is based on a very applied-oriented format. To know more about this course, see more information in this link.