Neuroscience is the study of how the nervous system,
and brain, works. New advances in the field of neuroscience may help us unravel
the physiology of leadership effectiveness. Neuroscience findings are helping to
connect the dots between human interaction and effective leadership practices.
As the mapping of the human brain continues, we can expect to learn more about
how the brain functions and how leaders can use this knowledge to best lead
people and organizations.
At the Center for Creative Leadership, they are
deeply intrigued by neuroscience’s potential for enhancing leadership
effectiveness. Success as a leader, after all, often comes down to specific
behavioral traits. The more we know about how to encourage positive behavior
and change limiting behavior in ourselves and others, the better we will meet
our challenges.
Most people can recognize the behavioural traits that
make a good leader but it’s the sustainable application that is often a key
block to effective leadership success. Take collaboration, a behavioural trait
that is often associated with effective leadership. So why do so many leaders
actually find it hard to collaborate effectively? Is it because other deeply
entrenched behaviours come to sabotage the collaboration process – as the
leader, whether consciously or sub-consciously, tries to protect their own span
of control.
John Ryan mentions that "as we explore what's new and meaningful on the frontiers of leadership development, we do know this: the context in which leadership happens is changing every day in every sector. We are living in a VUCA world: one characterised by Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity and will be for years to come. In a dizzying swirl of socio-political upheaval, natural disasters and volatile business markets, many of us stay awake at night wondering if our skills and knowledge are enough to see us through tomorrow or the next quarter. Seeing farther than that is even more daunting and yet we have to keep searching."
Marian Ruderman from the Center of
Creative Leadership “thinks it’s all around the how. Leadership is not
changing; it’s still about achieving direction, alignment and commitment. What
is changing is that we will be moving away from the competency-based approach
to understanding the being part of leadership, i.e. who we are, how we present
ourselves, and how that aligns for people. Neuroscience is also helping us
understand resilience, renewal and self-regulation. Where if you can have
greater control of your nervous system, you can control your responses. This
can help in all sorts of leadership activities and is especially valuable in
delicate or difficult situations. Self-regulation can be a powerful
underpinning for anyone who wants to be more effective in leadership roles.”
Leaders need all
the help they can get to embrace the mantle of leadership, and in so doing
inspire and motivate their followers to achieve greater things – both for
themselves and for the greater good of the organisation. In the process taking
the organisation to a new level of operational efficiency and sustainable
output, never achieved before – that in itself creates a resilient
organisational infrastructure that can absorb and respond to their ever
changing business environment in a positive sustainable way.
But most importantly leaders need to remember that their role is all about inspiration and motivation.
As David Rock (2011) states, “leaders
and leadership scholars of the future may be looking at the world in a whole
new way - with the brain firmly in mind. And the journey has really only just
begun.”
References:
Rock, D. (2011). The neuroscience of
leadership: time for a new science of leadership. Psychology Today, March.
Ryan, J.R. (2012) What's next for leadership? 5 big ideas. Center for Creative Leadership Annual Report, 2011-2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment