neuroleadership.com Open in urlscan Pro
141.193.213.11  Public Scan

Form analysis
2 forms found in the DOM

GET https://neuroleadership.com

<form role="search" method="get" id="searchform" action="https://neuroleadership.com" data-hs-cf-bound="true">
  <input type="text" value="" name="s" id="s" placeholder="">
  <input type="hidden" name="post_type" value="post">
  <input type="hidden" name="nli_display" value="blog">
  <input type="submit" id="searchsubmit" value="Search">
</form>

GET https://neuroleadership.com/

<form role="search" class="searchform fusion-search-form  fusion-search-form-classic" method="get" action="https://neuroleadership.com/" data-hs-cf-bound="true">
  <div class="fusion-search-form-content">
    <div class="fusion-search-field search-field">
      <label><span class="screen-reader-text">Search for:</span>
        <input type="search" value="" name="s" class="s" placeholder="Search..." required="" aria-required="true" aria-label="">
      </label>
    </div>
    <div class="fusion-search-button search-button">
      <input type="submit" class="fusion-search-submit searchsubmit" value="">
    </div>
  </div>
</form>

Text Content

Skip to content
Topics Hybrid Performance Growth Mindset Allyship Culture and Leadership DEI
Psychological Safety

Join Mailing List
NLI Home
Podcast
Join Mailing List

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bias | culture | Leadership | Psychological Safety


WHO’S IN CHARGE? FOUR WAYS LEADERS CAN RECLAIM THEIR CONFIDENCE


By Samantha Chencharik
April 13th, 2023

During a recent meeting, team members watched their director struggle to provide
feedback on an annual report they’ve worked on for a long time. When asked for
next steps, she wavered. During a short break in the discussion, the director
received an email from her boss saying she and other directors must turn to
layoffs to cut costs given the current economic uncertainty. When the meeting
resumed, the director made a quick decision on the project’s direction and
abruptly ended the call. She then turned her attention to the difficult decision
of whom to lay off.

This scenario isn’t far from the reality of what it’s like to lead and be led in
today’s volatile environment. The traditional models of work that once provided
structure for how people interact and execute tasks — from brainstorm sessions
to coffee breaks and cooler talk — have been largely dismantled. When those in
charge lack the tools and training to navigate this uncertain landscape, it
creates the perfect storm for a leadership confidence crisis. And if leaders
lack confidence in themselves, there can be a trickle-down effect to employees,
causing them to doubt the direction of their organization. A recent report
indicates this real concern: Only 23% of organizations believe their leaders
have the capabilities to navigate a disrupted world.

To be fair, an uncertain economy on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic left many
leaders taxed, hampering their ability to confidently make decisions. At the
same time, they’ve tried to maintain an optimistic outlook to keep employee
morale high. This cumbersome yet critical approach to juggling the faith that
everything will work out alongside the brutal realities of a situation is known
as the Stockdale Paradox. It’s a mindset that’s been instrumental for the
success of organizations since the pandemic began. But balancing optimism with
realism can cause internal conflict that makes everyday thought processes more
labor intensive — working against the brain’s natural processes.

The result: Cognitive capacity has been stretched over and over again, leaving
leaders in survival mode. “These high stress levels can have a devastating
impact on leaders’ work productivity and problem-solving abilities,” says Matt
Summers, global VP of leadership for NLI. “When you’re in survival mode, it’s
difficult to follow through on simple tasks because your cognitive abilities are
impaired.”

Knowing this, here are four ways leaders can get themselves back on track.


THERE’S MAGIC IN METACOGNITION

Have you ever thought about your thoughts? Metacognition is a tool used to comb
through the mind to find flaws or biases in one’s own thinking processes. By
learning about the underlying issues or unconscious thought patterns that keep
us from attaining our goals, we’re better equipped to course correct before it
hinders our ability to succeed. For example, a leader with a diverse workforce
would benefit from both reflecting on their own communication style and
identifying situations that could trigger any implicit biases they may carry
into their interactions with employees. This intentional approach to
self-monitoring helps eliminate biases and foster a truly collaborative culture
for a higher level of engagement and more seamless conflict resolution.

Metacognition also has the power to improve how organizations implement
performance improvement practices, such as total quality management, a critical
tool used to detect and eliminate errors in manufacturing and supply chains. One
study found that organizations that had managers with robust metacognitive
awareness were better positioned to adapt performance improvement practice
methods. When managers are encouraged to engage in deep reflective thought about
knowledge structures and processes within their organization, they’re more
effective at pinpointing and tackling quality control problems. By becoming
hyperaware of how their brains process, plan, monitor, and assess actions,
leaders can better control the drivers behind their actions and understand the
needs of their organization, harnessing a new level of confidence.


RECOGNIZE YOUR EXPEDIENCE BIAS

Remember that story from your childhood about the tortoise and the hare? Well,
the old fable still has some valuable lessons to teach us in adulthood: Slow and
steady wins the race. When we’re in a hurry to meet a tight deadline or fill an
open position, we tend to rush to a conclusion based on a single data point or
viewed through only one lens. This expedience bias can lead to subpar, myopic
decisions that don’t consider all variables, such as selecting a candidate for a
position based on how easily the hiring manager can remember them. To avoid this
mental shortcut, Summers recommends leaders “go slow to go fast.” Taking time to
evaluate the pros and cons of each candidate could make all the difference and
will save time in the long run.


BUILD REGENERATIVE CULTURES

Incorporating regenerative practices into organizations can help create healthy
cultures that prioritize balance and stress management. By allowing for more
flexible work hours or shortened work weeks, leaders can earn their employees’s
confidence. In addition, Summers said fostering inclusive culture practices,
such as “collectively thinking about the why before the what and how to reclaim
connection to one another in meetings,” can be an important step to instill
team-oriented mindsets that strengthen confidence in one another in today’s
uncertainty.


PRIORITIZE PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

Remember trust falls at summer camp with your friends? The same theory applies
with leaders and employees. At the heart of trust is safety. It’s the common
denominator among high-performing teams. When you feel safe in your environment,
you feel more confident in those who’ve built it. Psychological safety is the
belief that you’re safe enough to make a mistake without the fear of
retribution.

“Organizations don’t do enough to protect psychological safety,” Summers said.
Our brains are incredibly good at sensing danger and figuring out how to avoid
it, which is exactly why we’re more likely to hold back when we don’t feel safe
to share an idea or go after an ambitious project. Leaders can foster an
environment of psychological safety by not only avoiding punishment for mistakes
but also by ensuring individuals share a sense of belonging and shared goals.
Ultimately, a confident leader — who also inspires confidence in others — allows
employees to take risks, experiment, and fail without repercussions.

At the core of the leadership confidence crisis is a fundamental lack of
investment into leaders. If leaders were trained to identify their biases and
were able to allocate more time to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their
team, they’re likely to make more effective decisions that bring them closer to
their overall goals. Instead of stumbling into this newly deconstructed frontier
of work without the tools to succeed, organizations have an unprecedented
opportunity to build the confident leaders this revamped way of work demands.




Our Story
Podcast
Blog
Events
Careers
Membership
Contact Us
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Youtube
Privacy
Trademark
Sitemap



Copyright 2023 NeuroLeadership Institute | All Rights Reserved




 * Organizational Change
   * Enterprise Solutions
   * Consulting
   * Leadership Principles
   * Research Briefings
   * Change Methodology
   * Back
 * Individual Development
   * Learning Programs
   * Brain-Based Coaching
   * Certificate in the Foundations of NeuroLeadership
   * NLI SCARF Assessment
   * Resources
   * Back
 * Impact
   * All Case Studies
   * Culture & Leadership
   * Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
   * Performance
   * Latest from the Lab
   * NeuroLeadership Journal
   * Back
 * Insights
   * Your Brain at Work – Blog
   * Recorded Webinars
   * Your Brain at Work Podcast
   * Growth Mindset
   * Allyship in Organizations
   * Hybrid Work
   * Beating Burnout
   * Back
 * Community & Events
   * Upcoming Webinars
   * NeuroLeadership Summit
   * Leadership Retreats
   * Become an NLI Insider
   * LinkedIn
   * Twitter
   * Membership Portal
   * Back
 * Company
   * Our Story
   * Global Leadership Team
   * Scientists & Advisors
   * Press Room
   * Careers
   * Global Directory
   * Back
 * Portals
   * BBCC Resources
   * Corporate Membership
   * Back
 * Thought Leadership
 * Contact Us
 * Search for:
   

× Close Panel

This site uses cookies to provide you with a personalized browsing experience.
By using this site you agree to our use of cookies as explained in our Privacy
Policy. Please read our Privacy Policy for more information.





Close



×
We Value Your Privacy
Settings
NextRoll, Inc. ("NextRoll") and our advertising partners use cookies and similar
technologies on this site and use personal data (e.g., your IP address). If you
consent, the cookies, device identifiers, or other information can be stored or
accessed on your device for the purposes described below. You can click "Allow
All" or "Decline All" or click Settings above to customize your consent.
NextRoll and our advertising partners process personal data to: ● Store and/or
access information on a device; ● Create a personalized content profile; ●
Select personalised content; ● Personalized ads, ad measurement and audience
insights; ● Product development. For some of the purposes above, our advertising
partners: ● Use precise geolocation data. Some of our partners rely on their
legitimate business interests to process personal data. View our advertising
partners if you wish to provide or deny consent for specific partners, review
the purposes each partner believes they have a legitimate interest for, and
object to such processing.
If you select Decline All, you will still be able to view content on this site
and you will still receive advertising, but the advertising will not be tailored
for you. You may change your setting whenever you see the Manage consent
preferences on this site.
Decline All
Allow All
Manage consent preferences