Virtually every area of human behavior has a neurobiological facet, which can be studied by investigating the functioning of the brain. However, this field of research does not only focus on the mental processes of the individual isolated from his or her environment, but also includes the way in which the environment influences our neuron networks, and vice versa.

This is why there is a concept called neuroleadership , which refers to the part of leadership and team management that has to do with what we know about the human brain.

The relationship between the brain and leadership: 4 keys

Here you will find several key ideas that help to understand how the functioning of the brain is related to the way leaders act, according to principles of neuroleadership.

1. The importance of emotional memory

The last decades of research into the neurobiological basis of memory have shown us that the emotional part of memories works in a different way from the way we “store” in our brain the most rational and easily explained verbal elements.

This means, among other things, that the intensity of the memory of an emotion does not have to be the same as that of the memory of an idea, phrase or reasoning. In fact, the emotional imprint is often more lasting than that expressed through concrete ideas and words.

In practice, our attitudes towards a person depend not on those beliefs we have about him or her, but on the emotions and sensations produced by the times we have come into contact with him or her in the past , even if we do not remember exactly what happened in those encounters.

That is why the emotional tone of a dialogue is usually as or more decisive than the pure content of what is said when it comes to leaving a good memory in people and making it easier for our points of view to be taken into account. The same conversation can lead to the emergence or not of a leadership, depending on the way in which it is spoken, the content of what is said being the same.

2. Delayed gratification

The ability to give up immediate rewards in order to qualify for medium or long term rewards is one of the most useful psychological skills when it comes to achieving ambitious goals , which are those to which large teams can aspire that coordinate with each other.

By placing the focus on the individual (and more specifically, on his or her brain), this mental characteristic has to do with the way in which the frontal lobes counteract the influences that the limbic system has when it comes to establishing plans of action. While the frontal lobes are related to socialization and conceptualization of abstract goals , the limbic system is much more passionate and individualistic.

This means that those who have developed frontal lobes that are more connected to the rest of the brain tend to have greater ability to resist temptation and invest time and effort in reaching objectives, which is fundamental for leaders both to avoid making projects fail and to set an example.

3. Communication resources

The ability to communicate using language is the ultimate characteristic that distinguishes us from animals, and for good reason. Thanks to this symbol-based tool, we can involve in the same action a practically unlimited number of people , contributing to their agreement to achieve a common goal.

For example, thanks to the development of language through a reorganization of the cerebral cortex, it was possible to establish networks of primitive commerce and group hunting, and the expansion of these kinds of skills from writing gave way to great civilizations with cities where social and cultural life was centralized.

In the world of organizations, communication resources have an equally essential role; although it seems that everyone has to be clear about what they have to do, the truth is that in most cases this very individual approach to work creates unnecessary problems and limits the capacity for growth that groups and teams have.

Learning the most important tools to communicate taking into account the context and the non-verbal language is key for the communicative flow of a company or team to go in favor of the general functioning of the entity, and not against it by feeding ambiguities and misunderstandings. Leaders must act as dynamizers of this communication network within a team, so that ideas can be expressed and doubts can be solved in time.

4. The keys to group identity

Leaders have to be able to convey the values and ideas on which an organization is based, regardless of whether it is formal or informal. And in this aspect it is necessary to take into account that human beings perceive the elements as a whole , without valuing their individual elements separately.

For example, if in a company in which cooperation is constantly said to be the key value of the organization there is an architecture and design of spaces that denote strong separations between ranks and a tendency to the elitist exclusivity of some areas, the result will not be that the workers will have a balanced perception of the entity by having the impression that one element is compensated by the other; on the contrary, they will believe that in the operation of the company there are great incongruities.

Therefore, the leaders must act as Public Relations from the outside, but also from the inside , so that there is a clear organizational philosophy that is expressed without inconsistencies both in the way of working and in the aesthetics of the resources used.

How to train in neuroleadership?

This is an exciting area of research and intervention, and so it is not surprising that there are already initiatives aimed at deepening the relationship between leadership and neurosciences.

Specifically, the Specialisation Course in Neuroleadership given by the Institut de Formació Contínua-IL3 (University of Barcelona) gives the possibility of learning from an expert teacher in the field about subjects as varied and useful as stress management, emotional regulation, and others. It has 3 ECTS credits, and is based on a very applied-oriented format. To know more about this course, see more information on this link.