WHAT THIS NETWORK DOES: Trust begins here

The Limbic Network is where two critical functions intersect – the chemicals we think of as emotions are regulated here and our long-term memory resides here, as well. These developed together to give us a sense of belonging – the smell of fresh baked bread brings back memories of home; you remember the way a mean teacher treated you when you hear their name. This network relies heavily on tone of voice, body language and other non-verbal signals to decide if we belong.

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In our culture, this sense of belonging, or “respect,” is largely determined by whether or not we feel listened to. If we don’t, it triggers the amygdala, where the Limbic and Reptilian networks meet, and puts us into fight, flight or freeze mode.  

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Evolutionarily this made sense.

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Humans are neither the strongest nor the fastest species and we needed to collaborate in order to survive. The question has always been with whom should we collaborate?

And while our short-term memory is good at keeping track of where we put our keys (at least most of the time), our long-term memory is anchored in the Limbic, entwined with our emotional settings and encoding those emotions into our memories. That is how “gut decisions” are made.

This impacts you as a leader

Emotions are data a leader needs to inform good decisions. Respect – feeling it and giving it – is foundational to creating the trust necessary to operate in a fast-growth environment. People engage with what they feel is important, not what they have been told or calculate to be important. This underscores that these emotions drive people and that the quality of conversations between those people drive business.

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For example, when employees get fixated on status or are consistently comparing their team with others, this is a signal the team is not connected to the company's vision.

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Keep this in mind when …

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PROVIDING FEEDBACK

​When people are given feedback, they want to know whose side the “giver” is on, Them or Us. They are looking at your body language and listening for tone to determine if there are “sides.”

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EMPOWERING OTHERS

When you want someone to take on more or new responsibility, the employee wants to know if you have their back and if you will be available for advice and help.​

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