6 RACHEL NYARADZO ADAMS Rachel is a leadership practitioner and an ontological and personality coach that works with individuals and teams. She holds an honours degree in social science degree from UCT as well as a masters degree in African Studies from the University of Oxford.
Leadership & social influence If you want to cultivate exceptional leadership and social influence, then I ask you to engage in only one task: spend time understanding the human brain. While leadership is, at a basic level, your ability to influence inter-relational dynamics, most leaders spend little to no time learning about the workings of neuroscience behind leadership, teams, and individuals. Our brains are
at the core of all the human issues we face at work: conflict, mistrust, communication challenges, misalignment in work practices, mental health challenges, strategic sabotage and so on. Below are some key neuroscience-based skills that will help you master leadership and social influence in a way that is truly human and relevant.
Create an enabling environment for the brain to thrive Encourage healthy eating habits and practices that help to silence the mind through wellness programmes
You can’t effectively lead and influence people whose brains are not thriving. In a world that glorifies overworking, the most radical form of leadership and influence is making sure that your team is empowered to take care of the basic drivers of the brain. Make sure that they are getting quality sleep (which means stop sending emails at midnight!). Provide opportunities for movement or exercise during the day. Encourage healthy eating habits and practices that help to silence the mind through wellness programmes. Modern research is showing us that leaders who create an enabling environment for the brain to thrive, find themselves facing less resistance from the people they lead. Teams become more creative, better problemsolvers and can deliver the right energy to the work they are doing. It is a simple formula for the brain-smart leader.
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