This document discusses brain-based leadership and coaching approaches. It describes how certain brain regions are involved in key leadership parameters like visioning, building trust, and motivating others. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is important for visioning. Building trust highly activates the mirror neuron network. Ability to motivate involves the nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area, and neurochemicals like dopamine and serotonin. The amygdala can be activated in crisis situations or from a lack of trust and ambiguity, overriding other brain activity. Coaching techniques like counter-mirroring can help calm the limbic system and lead to more rational responses.

1. Presents:
Brain-based Leadership and the MTL
February 27, 2014

2. Concept of Man/The Nature of Human Nature

3. “If you understand the brains of people you manage,
you are able to manage their behaviors. In many
situations, managing behavior without managing the
brain forces the brain to rebel.”
Srinivasa S. Pillay, Your Brain and Business

4. …Or become unmotivated

5. Brain-based Coaching Approaches

6. Brain-based Leadership

7. Regions
Brain Regions You Can Coach

8. Leadership Parameter
Visioning:
Visioning is looking to the future and creating an understandable
big picture and shared vision. One area of the brain that is heavily involved in
visioning is the vmPFC.

9. Our Friend the Amygdala
• Can be activated in crisis/fight or flight situations (Confrontations
at work)
• Can be activated at a low grade, chronic “simmer” (Lack of trust,
ambiguity)
• Will substantially override most other brain activity if sufficiently
activated.

11. Or we can coach integrated networks.
Mirror neuron interaction

12. Leadership Parameter
Building Trust: Building trust is demonstrating confidence in self, knowledge of self, and
authenticity. One area of the brain that is highly activated when building trust is the mirror
neuron integrated network.

13. MNS= Mirror Neuron System
STS= Superior Temporal Sulcus

14. How Counter-Mirroring Makes a
Difference
Without Counter-Mirroring (Giving
Power to the Automatic Brain)
1.
2.
3.
4.
You feel anxious and angry
You defend yourself to yourself.
You attack and create more rage
in the attacker
You are involved in automatic
rage exchanges
With Counter-Mirroring (Sharing
Power with the Automatic Brain)
1.
2.
3.
4.
You observe you feel anxious
and angry.
You think what the attacker is
thinking and identify feeling
states and reasons for this.
You don’t attack; you take a step
back.
You become calm and can seek
novel solutions that address
everyone’s concerns.

15. Another technique to counter-mirror
• Think of what you’re going to say but don’t say it
(take a deep breath)
• Think of what you will say instead.
(Take a deep breath and don’t say it)
• Think of what you’ll ultimately say and now say it.
At this point, you will have calmed the limbic system,
responded rationally and not reacted to the mood of the
moment

16. Leadership Parameter
Ability to motivate others: Ability to motivate others is the ability to stimulate others,
inspire them to do work, attend to them individually, and motivate them through who you
are. The nucleus accumbens and the VTA are essential structures as are the neurochemicals
dopamine (creates attention) and serotonin (mood).

17. Our Friend the Amygdala makes another appearance
First note: People cannot access rewards
if anxious or lonely
__________________________________________________________________
Then seek to provide reward:
• Reward the behavior you seek (reward risk taking, for example)
• Ask employees what is motivating (tangibles, recognition, status…)
• Break goals into smaller, rewarded steps.
• As a leader, know what rewards you.

18. Ann's Blog @ ICF MN
“Mind Matters”:
http://icfminnesota.org/category/the-mindmatters/
Ann's Blog @ International Coaching
Federation:
http://icfheadquarters.blogspot.com/

19. Contact Information:
Email: Annholm@Annholm.net
Websites: Annholm.net
QueenAnntics.net
Annholm.net
AnnholmNet
Linkedin.com/in/annholmnet