Brain Research Helps Leaders Lead

It is nice to see that corporate training is beginning to catch up with what academia has been researching and implementing for many years now, namely, how brain research can make better learners and increase productivity. Michael Vaughn's article FiveWays to Use Brain Science to Become a Better Leader (Chief Learning Officer, March 2014, p.36) is a very worthwhile read for anyone in a leadership position. Here is a quick summary. 

Five Ways to Become a Better Leader

FAIRNESS: Being fair is better that being right.

Researchers have discovered that when treating people unfairly, the brain (amygdala) processes these negative emotions to a deep and lasting degree. Leaders who create feelings of unfairness in employees lessen their relationship, respect, acceptance and sense of equality.

SOCIAL:  Introvert or extrovert does not matter; social interaction does.

Our brains are social. We need goals and interaction, which promotes these outputs. In contrast, most workplace cultures demand improved results over improved social interactions. The negative consequence over time is that "even the high performers will feel devalued, less secure or even unfairly treated."

SLEEP: The brain needs sleep.

There are still lots of debate, but during sleep, many brain researchers believe that we "consolidate memories, make new connections, conserve energy and unconsciously chip away at problems." If Thomas Edison had slept more, he likely would have made fewer mistakes, and therefore, would have been even more productive.

ATTENTION: Stop multitasking; focus on one task.

Stanford University brain researchers and other researchers have well established the superiority of focusing on a single task rather than multitasking. "When task compete for the same mental resources, the quality of results of all tasks diminishes." Multitaskers will likely experience decline in energy and quality of thought.

PREDICTING: We are wired to predict, but keep perspectives open.

Our brain is busy predicting when we try to make sense of something regarding its outcome. Most predictions, however, are inaccurate or incomplete. Michael Vaughn suggests, “If leaders hold on to predictions, it may stop them from seeking new perspectives.”