Prof. Steven Poelmans holds the Melexis Endowed Chair of Neuroscience- and Technology-enabled High Performance Organizations. His research focuses on using neuroscience and biometric data to optimize organizational performance and individual well-being. Key areas of research include the NeuroTrainingLab for developing leadership skills using EEG and other data, using data to diagnose and treat stress and burnout, studying high-performing global virtual teams, and applying artificial intelligence to organizational learning. The overall goal is to ethically collect and use biometric data to benefit sustainable organizational performance while safeguarding individual well-being.

1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenpoelmansw
Steven.Poelmans@ams.ac.be
Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
Melexis Endowed Chair of Neuroscience- and Technology-enabled High Performance Organizations
The NeuroTrainingLab
Research and Development of Leadership Competencies

2. The human species stands on the verge of the 21st century
biological and socio-economic revolution driven by the
engineering of bodies, brains and minds.
Yuval Noah Harari
Historian and visionary
2018 World Economic Forum in Davos
Historical Context

4. The organizations that are first to develop the capacity to collect,
store, analyse and apply data
generated with transformative technologies for
improving performance and wellbeing,
will be the strategic leaders of the future.
The new capital: Data

5. SENSOR TECH
wearables, hearables, ingestibles
TransTech Transformative bio-codification technology
DATA TECH
AI, big data, real time analytics
BIOFEEDBACK
EEG, FMRI, ET, EDA, heart, temp, breath
BIOSTIMULATION
TCS, TACS, TRNS, TENS, CES, TMS
BEHAVIOR TECH
coaching, gamification, social psychology
PERCEPTION TECH
VR, AR
SLEEP TECH
monitoring, improvement, lucid
dreaming
HEALTHY SPACES TECH
design, air, water, lighting, materials
APP TECH
gaming, apps, software to code behavior

6. https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenpoelmansw
Steven.Poelmans@ams.ac.be
Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
Melexis Endowed Chair of Neuroscience- and Technology-enabled High Performance Organizations
The NeuroTrainingLab
Research and Development of Leadership Competencies

7. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
In the NeuroTrainingLab™ participants confront emotionally challenging business
situations, interacting with another participant and a specially trained actor. This
allows us to test, observe, and improve participants’ responses, arguments,
behavior, and EEG activity underlying leadership competencies.
The NeuroTrainingLab™ is a leadership competency development methodology,
that allows observing leadership behaviors and measuring associated neuro-
cognitive activity, with the purpose of giving contingent, task-based
(neuro)feedback and increase EQ, performance and health in managers.
DESCRIPTION

8. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
Competencies
Habitual, Observable Behaviour
associated with High Performance
Performance
EMOTIONAL
REGULATION
Stress Management
Self-control
Meditation
Empathy
Stress
COGNITIVE
REGULATION
Attention
Dual Task Processing
Working Memory
Meta-cognition
BASIC MODEL

9. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
Non-Verbal Behavior
Facial Expression
Eye Contact
Body Posture
Proximity
Flexibility
Brain activity (EEG)
Cognitive Workload
Attention
Engagement
Empathy, Insight
Heart activity (HRV)
Learning Capacity
The process of feedback,
learning, is aimed at
activating & measuring
meta-cognition.
Leadership Competencies
Analysis of socio-emotional
competencies by trained experts,
using virtual observation
dashboard.
Emotional Impact
Authenticity, Clarity
Spontaneity
Flexibility, Intensity
Connection / Trust
Firmness
INTRA-
INDIVIDUAL
INTER-
INDIVIDUAL
EXPERT ACTOREEG / HRV SUBJECTS
Learning Capacity
Participants give mutual
feedback within
constraints
(no judging)
MULTI-SOURCE, MULTI-LEVEL DATA

10. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
INTERNATIONAL NETWORK
PIPELINE

11. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans

12. What have we learned?
The Paradoxes of Leadership
Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
Melexis Endowed Chair of Neuroscience- and Technology-enabled High Performance Organizations

13. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
Paradox

14. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
Managers’ sense-making is empowered when re-framing
tensions as paradoxes instead of dilemmas.
(Luscher and Lewis, 2008)
Leadership Paradoxes

15. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
Leadership Paradoxes

16. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
Absence of Interruptions
Listening & Feedback
Observation & Feedback
Mindfulness
PARADOX 1: DECLARING vs INQUIRING
Framing - Purpose
Informing
Arguing
Engaging others
STATUS
N
Threat Reward

17. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
Person-Orientation
Process
Developing Trust
Emotion-Orientation
PARADOX 2: TASK vs EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
Task-orientation
Goals & Results
Problem-Solving
Action-Orientation
RELATEDNESS
N
Threat Reward

18. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
External Locus of Control
Seeking Success
Development, Action plan
Goals, Feedback, Coaching
Exploring Scenarios
PARADOX 3: CONTROL vs DELEGATION
Internal Locus of Control
Avoiding errors
Guarantees, commitments
Checklists, milestones
Worst case scenario
AUTONOMY
N
Threat Reward
CERTAINTY
N
Threat Reward

19. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
Individual Needs
Personal Interest
Expectations of Employee
Culture, Diversity, Consideration
PARADOX 4: FIRM vs EMPLOYEE
Organizational Priorities
Common Good
Vision of Firm
Policies, Norms
Threat RewardFAIRNESS
N

20. Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
NAVIGATING PARADOXES: META-COGNITION

21. MELEXIS ENDOWED CHAIR of
NEUROSCIENCE- & TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED
HIGH PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATIONS

22. TO STUDY AND OPTIMIZE PERFORMANCE AND WELLBEING IN
ORGANIZATIONS
Implementing organizational and individual strategies for
Ethically collecting and systematically studying biometrical data,
Wisely using the data for the benefit of sustainable, organizational performance,
Safeguarding individual and social wellbeing.
Purpose of the Chair

23. Lines of ResearchNEUROTRAININGLAB
Leadership development study using multiple source data: expert observations, EEG, biometric, self-report.
TECDATA
Intervention study using Individual diagnosis and targeted treatment of stress and burnout in organizations.
GLOVIR TEAMS
High performing, agile / autonomous teams in the global-virtual space.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING
Taxonomy of artificial intelligence and learning. Study of integration of business analytics, AI, and machine
learning within organizational learning.
WAR ROOM
Neuroscience- and technology-enabled team decision making in crisis situations.
LEADERSHIP OF BIG DATA IMPLEMENTATION
Study of meso-level enablers of big data process implementation, like leadership complexity, and
organizational climate.
AMISCO – Assessment of Multiple Intelligences for School and Career Orientation
VR test of KISET – Knowledge, Intelligences, Skills, Experiences and Traits to orient young adults in their careers.

24. Thank you for your focus and smile ☺
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenpoelmansw
Steven.Poelmans@ams.ac.be
Prof. dr. Steven Poelmans
Melexis Endowed Chair of Neuroscience- and Technology-enabled High Performance Organizations