Your Brain at Work

This week, join Dr. Amy Edmondson (Novartis Professor of Leadership, Harvard Business School) and Dr. David Rock (CEO and Co-Founder, NLI) in the last of our 3-part series. They’ll lead the NLI community in an exploration of how psych safety has the power to boost accountability and engagement, thereby driving sustainable business results over time.

Learn more about our groundbreaking new leadership development program — LEAD: The Neuroscience of Effective Management — here: https://neuroleadership.com/LEADKeep up-to-date on the latest NLI content at our blog: https://neuroleadership.com/your-brain-at-work/Join us for upcoming events: https://neuroleadership.com/our-events/Host a NeuroLeadership Event in your city: https://hub.neuroleadership.com/events/na-host-a-nli-event-2024Explore our solutions: https://neuroleadership.com/solutions-for-organizations/

The modern workplace is overdue for a reframing of accountability as a workplace concept. How can leaders use accountability to empower teams rather than worry or punish them? And why should they? Join Dr. Ryan Curl (Director of Impact and Measurement, NLI) and Will Watkins (Associate Consultant, NLI) for this discussion on the importance of accountability at work. They'll lead the community in a discussion to cover some key questions: What is workplace accountability? Why does it matter now more than ever? What does science tell us is the best approach to accountability at work? How can leaders inspire employees to take ownership of the results the organization needs to achieve?

It has been 20 years since NLI identified the five domains in humans' social experience: status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and fairness. Join Dr. Emma Sarro (Head of Scientific Research) and Evynn McFalls (Global VP of Marketing and Brand) in this week's discussion on the evolution of The SCARF Model.

Hot on the heels of his recent publication on leadership trends in Fast Company, Dr. David Rock welcomes our global head of research, Dr. Emma Sarro to Your Brain at Work Live to discuss the quiet signals unfolding on the leadership landscape — and key trends to watch and influence as the year unfolds. Listen closely to dig into: The emergent qualities of a new kind of leader What re-imagined leadership development looks like Where DEI stands in the leadership landscape Re-thinking performance development in 2024

Over the last several months, there's been a great deal of talk about the use cases for artificial intelligence. Millions around the world are excited about the creative potential, labor, and time savings that AI might unlock. But AI's use cases don't end there. In this episode of Your Brain At Work, our co-founder, Dr. David Rock connects with Dr. Teodor Grantcharov (Professor of Surgery at Stanford University and Associate Chief Quality Officer for Innovation and Safety at Stanford Healthcare) to explore a fascinating new use case for AI: saving lives in the operating room. Listen on for a fascinating exploration of how we might use AI to augment, rather than supplant, our humanity.

In the three years since flexible work has transformed from emergency mode to a mainstream way of working, it’s encountered no shortage of unique challenges and opportunities along the way. Among those challenges? Intentionally building and maintaining workplace culture — shared everyday habits — in a setting so often mediated by digital distance. Research indicates that a sense of connectedness (something many employees say they aren't getting) is one of the primary levers for employee engagement and retention. It’s what has some leaders believing that returning to office will alleviate the "connection crisis". Yet, a staggering number of employees say they'll exit if forced back into the office. On this episode of Your Brain at Work Live, we'll welcome Khalil Smith (Akamai Technologies) and Dr. David Rock to explore this complicated conflict — and point to evidence-based practices for closing the connection gap without forcing a return to office.

What are the connections between cognitive capacity, motivation, threat, and reward? How do organizations that prioritize psychological safety differ — in terms of business performance — from those that don't? What cognitive levers should organizations think about when executing change initiatives in order to manage threat, motivate their teams and drive positive business outcomes? On this episode of Your Brain at Work Live, Dr. Emma Sarro and Dr. Ryan Curl provide answers to these questions and more — sharing key findings from our latest NeuroLeadership Journal, "Managing Threat Response in the Workplace".

On the season 10 premiere of Your Brain at Work Live, we'll dig deep into the trends, breakthroughs and scientific insights uncovered at the 2023 NeuroLeadership Summit. Facilitated by our Director of Leadership, John Edwards, and featuring leaders from all three of our practice areas, we'll share what we learned about: • Augmented intelligence • The future of DEI and what it will take to get there • The evolution of talent and performance management • Integrated approaches leaders can take to embed upskilling, re-skilling, and super-adaptivity in their company culture strategy

Register for the 2023 NeuroLeadership Summit, taking place this Oct. 4 & 5 by Sept. 21 to lock-in early bird pricing: https://summit.neuroleadership.com/register/Explore NeuroLeadership institute content on the Your Brain at Work blog: https://neuroleadership.com/your-brain-at-work/Learn more about the products and services we offer organizations like yours: https://neuroleadership.com/solutions-for-organizations/Learn more about our upcoming continuing education opportunities for individuals: https://neuroleadership.com/individual-education-programs/

Learn more about our upcoming DEI Master Class and join our September cohort: https://neuroleadership.com/deinext Learn more about our DEI Community of Practice: https://neuroleadership.com/practice-area-diversity-equity-inclusion Register for the 2023 NeuroLeadership Summit, taking place this Oct. 4 & 5: https://summit.neuroleadership.com/register/

When it comes time for organizations to flex their mindsets and set leaders up for success in an environment of constant change, what can science tell us about how to get it done? How do we build a regenerative, resilient, and adaptive talent ecosystem? Who's demonstrating what great looks like in the real world? In the third and final episode of our special series, future Proof Your Leadership with neuroscience, our global vice president of culture and leadership, Matt Summers, answers these questions and more with the help of special guest Kath Carmean, an Organizational Development Partner at The Aerospace Corporation. Learn more about our Culture & Leadership Practice Area: https://neuroleadership.com/research/approach/case-studies/culture-leadership Review the NeuroLeadership Summit program and register: https://summit.neuroleadership.com/program-2023/ Explore Consulting at the NeuroLeadership Institute: https://neuroleadership.com/thinking-partnerships/

In a world where people can locate information with a few keystrokes, how has learning changed? What makes learning effective — and what pitfalls do leaders face when trying to make learning accessible and sustained? In this episode of Your Brain at Work Live, Alyssa Abkowitz — our global head of Product and Content — interviews Dr. David Rock about the first principles we should all keep in mind as we navigate new paradigms in learning at work. Listen closely — you might just find some insights for the AGES.

In times of change, we rely on our leaders for guidance and support. However, not all leaders feel comfortable coaching, or haven't figured out how to help employees feel psychologically safe enough to voice their questions or experiences. Join Dr. David Rock (Co-Founder & CEO, NLI) and Alyssa Abkowitz (VP, Global Product & Content) as they explore: • Why and how coaching benefits organizational effectiveness. • What quality coaching systems look like, based on science. • How organizations have leveraged coaching to improve talent and performance outcomes. Together, we'll explore effective ways to drive impactful conversations, navigate difficult ones, and build new habits.

In the second in a series of episodes on human-centric leadership hosted by Matt Summers, the NeuroLeadership Institute's Global Vice President of Culture & Leadership, we explore how leaders can overcome the employee apathy conundrum by understanding that goal focus and people focus don't have to be at odds—showing how integrating the two can drive better talent and business outcomes.

Why is it that there's a crisis of confidence in leaders impacting organizations around the world right now? What can organizations do about their talent pipeline and employee development lifecycle? How does the neuroscience of learning figure into all of this? In the first of a three-part series on Human Centric leadership hosted by our Global Vice President of Culture & Leadership, Matt Summers, we begin digging into these questions and more — illuminating the path to more adaptive, innovative organizations with evidence-based methods.

Why is it that so many business transformation initiatives fail — sometimes before they've even launched? What can leaders and teams do to avoid that costly, morale-burning outcome? What does the science of behavior change tell us about what it takes to turn our change management initiatives into successful movements? In this episode of Your Brain at Work, we answer these questions and more with the help of Rachel Cardero — the NeuroLeadership Institute's Senior Vice President of Consulting — to conversation with our Head of Impact and Measurement, Dr. Ryan Curl, and Associate Consultant Mary Toomey.

It wasn't until June 2021 that the United States Federal Government formally recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday — but while that recognition may have been delayed, the wisdom we can take from stories of African-American resilience have been with us all along. In this episode, we welcome Dr. Michaela Simpson, the NeuroLeadership Institute's Global Vice President of Research and Innovation; and Janet M. Stovall, our Global Head of DEI — to share a neuroscientific perspective on this tradition of resilience, and what a more inclusive, equitable world might look like going forward.

For the first time in history, five generations — representing nearly a century of experience — are active in today's workforce. With that comes both challenges and opportunities in terms of communications, expectations, and compliance. In this episode of Your Brain at Work, we bring a generationally diverse panel of thinkers at the NeuroLeadership Institute — including Dr. Michaela Simpson, our global head of research and innovation; Nichole Hoskins, our global head of people; and Ariel Roldan, a business development associate — to explore the differences and commonalities across the five generations bringing their brains to today's workforce.

Maybe this line sounds familiar: You've got to do more with less — less time, less funding, and fewer resources. In an economic environment where reductions in force and demands for ramped up productivity — with sustainable business margins — are commonplace, does efficiency have to mean austerity? Perhaps not. In this episode of Your Brain at Work, Dr. Rebecca "Becks" Port — Chief People Officer at 10X Genomics — connects with the NeuroLeadership Institute's co-founder, Dr. David Rock, to explore strategies for improving talent and business outcomes by improving talent density.

How do you plan for the future when you're more uncertain than ever about what that future looks like? How do we keep each other striving for that finish line when we've lost sight of it in a fog of anxiety, ambiguity, and doubt? People tend to see change as threatening. We crave certainty and tend to avoid change as much as possible. When we can't, we become focused on all the ways change puts our safety in jeopardy, which shuts down our cognitive functions and kills our performance. In this episode of Your Brain at Work LIVE, Andrea LaBarbera (Head of Global Talent and Engagement, Zimmer Biomet) joins Dr. David Rock (NLI CEO and co-founder), and Rachel Cardero (NLI Vice President of Consulting) to discuss how Zimmer Biomet focused on their people to continue building their strategic road map, pillars, and guiding principles throughout the COVID-19 pandemic — and how we can learn to become nimble, resilient, and deliberate in the face of uncertainty today.

What does the future hold for your organization? And what are you doing to define that legacy? Tumultuous times are a challenge all their own. But, in preparing for them and navigating through them, it’s important to remember that, thanks to where we’ve been, we’re more prepared to handle them than ever before. This week on Your Brain at Work LIVE, Dr. David Rock (NLI CEO and co-founder) and Tina Drews (Salt River Project Director of Talent), discuss how, through an illuminating partnership with the NeuroLeadership Institute, Salt River Project focused on supporting the needs of their teams to develop the psychologically safe climate that equipped them even further to face crisis head-on in the present and through the future.

Join author Kenji Yoshino and NLI co-founder and CEO Dr. David Rock for an illuminating discussion on effectively navigating delicate conversations around identity in the workplace inspired by Yoshino's book, Say The Right Thing: How to Talk About Identity, Diversity, and Justice. Topics include common conversational pitfalls, engaging in respectful disagreement, offering authentic apologies, and better supporting people in our lives who experience bias.

Talent leaders know that people programs make the best impact when everyone aligns to a shared goal — yet many struggle to get deep buy-in from company leadership. This hurdle can spell trouble for learning, development, and other talent initiatives, especially amid economic uncertainty.In this episode, we explore actionable insights for getting the CEO — and the whole leadership board — on board with your talent initiatives. We'll show you how to elevate your pitch and successfully connect your initiatives to the outcomes leaders beyond the HR function care about most. This podcast is taken from our regular webinar series, Your Brain at Work Live. You can find the video version at this link: https://hub.neuroleadership.com/season-9-episode-01The NeuroLeadership institute offers powerful enterprise solutions for organizations, including TEAM: The Neuroscience of Psychological Safety. If you're interested in learning more about our solutions for organizations, visit: https://neuroleadership.com/solutions-for-organizations/Is it time to level up your leadership or professional development? Learn more about our Brain-Based Coaching cohorts here: https://individuals.neuroleadership.com/If you're interested in accessing a treasure trove of research, industry insights and other original content, consider becoming a NeuroLeadership Institute Corporate Member. Learn more at: https://membership.neuroleadership.com/Are you a senior executive looking to join a group of your peers for in-depth discussion about the key challenges and opportunities in the world of work today? Would you like first-look access to our new research? If so, consider becoming a NeuroLeadership Institute Insider. Learn more: https://neuroleadership.com/insiders

This podcast is taken from our regular webinar series, Your Brain at Work Live. You can find the video version at this link: https://hub.neuroleadership.com/ybaw-s8-e8The NeuroLeadership institute offers powerful enterprise solutions for organizations, including TEAM: The Neuroscience of Psychological Safety. If you're interested in learning more about psychological safety, or embedding the habits at your firm, we can help. Learn more at: https://neuroleadership.com/teamIf you're interested in accessing a treasure trove of research, industry insights and other original content, consider becoming a NeuroLeadership Institute Corporate Member. Learn more at: https://membership.neuroleadership.com/Are you a senior executive looking to join a group of your peers for in-depth discussion about the key challenges and opportunities in the world of work today? Would you like first-look access to our new research? If so, consider becoming a NeuroLeadership Institute Insider. Learn more: https://neuroleadership.com/insiders

Over a decade ago, we wondered: how can we scale what we've learned about coaching, continuous improvement and the science of motivation for the enterprise context? That question led us to introduce the Growth Mindset thinking framework to large-scale organizations. Now, we aid millions in practicing shared everyday habits that turn challenges into opportunities and problems into progress. In this episode of #YourBrainAtWorkLive, Dr. David Rock connects with Ryan Curl, Ph.D. (Researcher, NLI) to explore how the science of resilience, motivation and learning can equip leaders to build "genius cultures" where people are primed to thrive. Learn more: https://neuroleadership.com Apply for our Growth Mindset Mini-Summit: https://neuroleadership.com/growth-mindset-mini-summit

In this week's episode, we'll explore the deeper neuroscience of empathy and the role it plays in making organizations run effectively. Our special guest is the author of the recent national book release, How Jack Welch Gutted the Heartland and Crushed the Soul of Corporate America – and How to Undo His Legacy. In this discussion, we will dive into how a generation of leaders may have lost their empathetic way and what we can do to correct course.

You've identified a need for change, have defined your key habits to build that change, and deployed a great change program. Now, what? Join us to learn more about making change stick and the essentials of sustainment. In this episode, we'll discuss what sustainment is, how to scale your sustainment efforts, and examine how clients have used sustainment to manage change over time.

On June 19th, 1865 enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas were told they were free. A century and a half later, people in cities and towns across the US continue to celebrate the occasion. But what does it really mean for us today in Corporate America? In this episode, our panelists of esteemed guests offered three Juneteenth takeaways for African-Americans and Corporate America today.

As companies navigate the complex world of hybrid work, our research shows that cultivating a sense of autonomy and fairness across your organization can significantly improve employee commitment and performance. But while it can be easy to understand this in theory, in practice, many leaders find it difficult to adjust to new management habits. In the next installment of our growth mindset series, we'll connect with leaders from Akamai Technologies to explore how they've harnessed growth mindset to build out their global flex-based talent strategy providing a case study in how to make hybrid work at your organization.

Learn more about our Brain-Based Coaching programs by visiting https://individuals.neuroleadership.com/

Jyoti Mehra (CHRO, Gilead Sciences) joins Frank Gonzales (Deputy Director - ODEO NASA) to discuss key factors to consider in mulling a return, as well as the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

The past four years haven't just changed where and how we work; we've also seen significant change in how we're thinking about diversity, equity and inclusion. Increasingly, leaders and teams expect workplace cultures where every contributor can speak up, thrive and feel they truly belong. In this episode, Dr. David Rock is joined by Janet M. Stovall, our newly-minted Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. They explore the neuroscience science of DE&I, its historical underpinnings, and how we can harness neuroscience to pave the way forward.

Strange but true: google the SCARF model and you find more links online than Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. NLI co-founder David Rock walks through how the model was developed, what it does, why it is so sticky, and what’s next for this impactful framework.

When driving organizational change, it’s key to consider approaches that will resonate widely and stick with people for the long term. Fluency, amount, coherence and time (F.A.C.T.) are the critical drivers of sustained and inclusive growth. In this episode, NLI’s experts share perspectives on building organizations from first-hand experience, while answering questions to highlight best practices to ignite learning initiatives at-scale for teams.

In this special episode, recorded on Earth day 2022, we explore regenerative mindsets with Jaime Cloud (of the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education) and learn actionable ways to make sustainability habitual.

In this episode, experts from across our organization assembled to illustrate how organizations can execute impactful culture change at speed and scale.

"If you have a brain, you have bias." That phrase is more than a tagline for the NeuroLeadership Institute's model for overcoming bias at scale. It's also a far-reaching truth with profound implications about who we are and how we navigate the world. In this episode of Your Brain at Work Live, Dr. David Rock (Co-Founder and CEO, NLI) joins Evynn McFalls (VP Marketing, NLI) to reveal the origins of the SEEDS bias mitigation model and how we put that science to work—transforming thousands of leaders and teams over the past decade. You've never heard the story quite like this. Catch the insights and get a sneak peek at what's next in conquering unconscious bias.

In this episode, we’re joined by two special guests: Gwen Young (COO, The Women Business Collaborative) and you—by way of the perspectives you shared in our community surveys! We sat down with Shelby Wilburn (Community Manager and Host, NLI) and Joy VerPlanck, DET (Senior Insights Strategist, NeuroLeadership Institute) to surface intersectional insights about gender equity around the world. The panel explored how unconscious bias manifests itself in our workplace relationships and talent pipelines, and dug deep into the complicated truths about how our factors like gender, race and identity can impact our career journeys. We were also beyond grateful to investigate questions and amplify the stories of viewers like you.

As the weather is getting warmer and COVID-19 cases are low in the US, many leaders are itching to get people back into the office. But should they? In this episode, we'll share the latest data and insights on the remote, hybrid, or in-office situation. If your organization is on the path to going hybrid or back to the office full-time, watch as we follow the science on how to do it well. Could there be downstream impacts on employee recruitment and retention? How might a return to office impact equity and inclusion? How might going back affect women in the workforce, or parents that have acclimated to working from home? We touch on these topics, answer your burning questions, and more.

Over the past few years, we've learned that downtime is a necessity for avoiding burnout. But there are several factors that make prioritizing our downtime difficult. Key areas that don’t get enough focus are deeply held unconscious biases about gender, race, and identity that affect us all. In this episode, we look at how these biases and expectations impact our ability to get the rest we need. We discuss how organizations can create more inclusive cultures and practices that take these unique challenges into consideration.

Rapid #change at scale is absolutely possible. Sara Bowen, VP of Global #DEI at Boeing, knows this first hand. #Boeing set out to create a culture in which every employee feels safe to speak up and believes that their voice matters. Two years of hard work culminated in "Seek, Speak, and Listen" Boeing’s new behavior change model that their CHRO recently characterized as the most significant culture effort in the company’s 106-year history. Join us this Friday for an inspiring conversation and a remarkable story. #SeekSpeakListen #YourBrainAtWork

In this Season 7 Premiere episode, Dr. David Rock and John Edwards recap some of the landmark insights that came out of the 2022 NeuroLeadership Summit in February. These insights include: - How to shift from depletive to a regenerative style of managing people - Why empathy is no longer a nice-to-have but a business imperative - Why to be an ally you have to have an aversion to inequity - How rapid change at scale is absolutely possible, and more If you were able to attend the Summit, this session will help you reflect on your insights and deepen your connections. If you missed the Summit, this session will offer a fantastic overview of the key takeaways and indicate where the world of work and leadership may be going next.

Microsoft has undergone a massive culture transformation in recent years with “growth mindset” being the driving force behind every major decision and change they’ve made. The goal for senior leadership from the outset was to evolve from a culture of “know-it-alls” to a culture of “learn-it-alls.” They sought to enrich how they engaged their 181,000 employees around the world and encourage continuous curiosity, learning, and growth. This shift in mindset has permeated the organization in so many ways – from business strategies to employee behaviors. It has become integral to Microsoft’s leadership principles, performance practices, allyship efforts, hiring strategies, career conversations, feedback processes, and more. In this Season 6 finale of Your Brain at Work LIVE, Priya Priyadarshini (General Manager, Employee Career and Development, Microsoft) joins us to share the amazing story of this journey. Learn how leaders at Microsoft were able to create stronger connections between teams through the pandemic and how the organization’s growth mindset translated to bigger impacts on industries and the marketplace.

Calls for empathetic leadership are on the rise in organizations. A new survey connects lack of empathy to the reason 54% of people recently quit their jobs. Empathy is a nuanced and often misunderstood term. When actually, compassion is what teams need. Compassion is when one's desire to help becomes an impactful response. It's the difference between telling someone you care and actually showing them. On this episode, Steve Miska, a retired US Army Colonel & Author shares his experience working with Iraqi interpreters during the war and the unexpected lessons on the value of compassion. Ultimately sharing stories that transcend the battlefield and translate directly into workplace leadership today.

When people work together as a team, there are several “group dynamics” that determine how well they’re able to synergize, make decisions, and get things done. The factors that determine whether a team has a positive (or poor) group dynamic include power, relationships, status, fairness, the ability to put the interests of the group ahead of one's own, and more.How does your organization go through the process of team building? How are you being proactive in creating an inclusive environment that inspires team collaboration?In this episode of Your Brain at Work, Dr. David Rock, Dr. Will Kalkhoff , and Dr. Joy VerPlanck will explore the science of group dynamics. We’ll examine the differences between status and power and analyze how leadership, group composition, expectations, and participation inequities that can impact decision-making and work outcomes.

As offices continue to open up, a study, recently conducted by Future Forum, found that only 3% of Black professionals want to return to the office full-time. Looking deeper, this statistic is a reflection of the depth and breadth of microaggressions that occur in the workplace and the psychological harm Black professionals experience. Which brings larger questions of this impact to light. What ramifications could this have on diversity of teams, innovation, and companies' bottom lines moving forward? What should leaders do to address this alarming discovery? In this episode, Dr. Brian Lowery, Dr. Michaela Simpson, and Janet Stovall will unpack this data and its relation to workplace culture and Black professionals' sense of belonging at work. Tapping into the science of cognitive bias and lived experiences, they will share ways organizations can create more inclusive cultures in the era of hybrid work.

With the backdrop of an ongoing pandemic, monthly resignations hitting all-time highs, and mounting reports of job burnout – nearly everyone is feeling the pressure right now. Some organizations may react to this moment by "bearing down" and pushing people harder. However, this is a major driver of the problem in the first place. Human cognitive capacity- at both the individual and organizational level, is a precious resource that must be respected. In order to create truly engaged and productive workplaces, leaders need to map to cognitive capacity, not work against it. In this episode, NLI’s very own Dr. Michaela Simpson and Dr. David Rock discuss the neuroscience of capacity, motivation, and bias to better understand our limitations and share ways leaders can drive engagement and performance, while turning down the risk of burnout.

In recent weeks, we’ve examined the progression of the workplace as we know it. As organizations work to establish balance, combat burnout, and continue scaling toward the future, it has become increasingly clear it will take more than policies. Leaders are now being challenged to go beyond the surface and resonate with their employees on a human level. Empathy is commonly used as a blanket term, but the neuroscience behind it reflects a multi-faceted structure of related emotions. So how do we process these feelings? What practical steps can we take to exercise them in both professional and personal spheres? This week, Dr. Lisa Aziz-Zadeh of USC and Dr. David Rock discuss the neuroscience behind empathy and how to approach weaving it into the framework of organizational development during this new age of work.