Why Your Nervous System Influences Your Leadership Style

I love an uncomfy, confronting truth, let's go >>> 👉 Your nervous system is more responsible for your leadership style than you think.

Sure, you can read all the leadership books. Attend all the workshops. Have the best intentions in the world…

But under pressure, your nervous system will lead the discussion, long before your conscious self gets a say.

We’ve all been there (even in places you lead outside the workplace, ie in your family, your community). That feeling where the tension rises and your heart rate spikes. Then someone challenges you, pushes back, or goes silent at the worst time.

Survival based reactions

And suddenly, you're not responding as the leader you want to be... You're reacting as the version of you that’s wired for survival (the part that still thinks sabre toothed tigers 🐅 are about to storm into your cave and munch you to death).

Here’s the truth most leadership training skips:
-Your nervous system has a behavioural blueprint.
-That blueprint gets activated under pressure.
-And unless you get acquainted with that blueprint (and learn how to upgrade it), you’ll keep reacting on autopilot

You're not broken, you're human 💖

Don't think of this as being broken (there is nothing broken about you). It’s about recognising you're human (and that's amazing).

Learning how your system is wired to react, e.g. how you communicate, decide, and relate under stress, is the foundation of capacity, and of great leadership.

Because once you know the patterns, you get to choose the response (instead of the part that still thinks those tigers are coming choosing it for you!).

That’s when you stop leading from default, and instead, start leading from depth.

I wonder, have you ever had a moment where your body took over before your brain could catch up?