Whatever gets in the way of people contributing their best efforts is a barrier leaders need to be able to identify and work with employees to remove. Often it is knowledge – information or technical skills the employee lacks and must either seek out, learn or have access to.

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Processes can be problematic because "we've always done it this way,"
or because it requires knowing the difference between complex – the
natural state of some systems; and complicated – what humans do that
make things more difficult than need be.

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In the end, however, many barriers are self-imposed, especially
our approach to – and our attempts to avoid – emotions.

Emotions such as motivation, passion and competition are the fuel that drives
organizations. But our institutions are built on the mistaken belief that

emotions should be checked at the door, that work is someplace where

reason and logic rein - that we are capable of Thinking first, then Act on the

thought and then cut off our feelings. 

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In fact, our brains are wired to Feel, Act & Think: 
If it is run by a human, it runs on feelings.

 

Brain-savvy leaders aren't intimidated by emotions; instead they understand
them as data. That means treating them as information without judgment.
People can be sad that someone succeeded or happy that someone failed. 

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By treating emotions as data necessary, but not sufficient, to make good

decisions, you both elevate the importance of emotions and make them

exceedingly more manageable and less threatening.​

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This leads us to a vital lesson about the role emotions play in decisions:

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You do not reason people out of what
they did not reason themselves into

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This proverb is hundreds of years old, yet captures three neuroscience truths:

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• If we make decisions driven predominantly by emotions, we are not likely to swayed by "reason."

• Reason is not a higher form of thought; the fact is you can reason someone into a bad decision.

• Once we make a decision, our biases – confirmation, anchor, story – make it difficult for us to change our minds.

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In its extreme form, this takes on the form of a phobia. For example, have you ever tried to talk someone out of a fear of flying? No amount of data can break the Reptilian-Limbic loop.

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What works? Experience, which is why Virgin Atlantic has a center where those afraid of flying can experience simulated take-offs and landings dozens, if not hundreds of times.

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People have to experience change in order to believe in change

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This has a huge impact on your role as a leader

 

NEXT: Emotions are Data 

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