Unlike most people, when I hear the phrase “mindful leadership,” I simultaneously think “brainful leadership.” Yes, I know “brainful” is not a word. For us then, in this article and moving forward, it’s a neologism. A new word. It matters because the focus is on science and science in the 21st century will assure you that mindfulness is inextricably connected to brain health.
We can all agree I’m sure that we do not want mindless leadership, nor do we aspire to brainless leadership. How then are we to imagine and discuss brainful leadership? It’s an exciting and empowering question because non-invasive technology, namely brain imaging, has allowed scientists to learn an extensive amount of insight and knowledge into what strengthens our brains, as well as what weakens them.
All brains from the day we are born until the day we die have neuroplasticity which means they change based on environment and what we practice. Like the body, the brain can suffer from a lack of exercise. In the 1980s we had a fitness revolution that transformed how we took responsibility for our own well-being by committing to regular exercise.
We are now at the tipping point into a brain-fitness revolution whereby leaders who want their employees to have healthy, happy, high-performing brains will support them in regular brain-fitness. Check out BrainHQ.com to learn about how brain-training supports your well-being. It’s gamified, online, accessible, designed by neuroscientists and supplies lots of independent research that provides evidence for its efficacy.
How did I discover BrainHQ? I was researching, interviewing, and writing my book The Bullied Brain that was published last year. It’s the subtitle that led me to BrainHQ: “heal your scars and restore your health.” I wanted to learn what scientists knew about how we could recover from bullying and abuse. I wanted remedies for traumatized brains. This is how I ended up meeting Dr. Michael Merzenich, known in brain science circles as “The Father of Neuroplasticity.” He is the lead scientist who designed BrainHQ.
Dr. Merzenich is one of the most highly awarded neuroscientists alive today and I was blessed that he took passionate interest in my Bullied Brain book. He was amazed that I had spent so long trying to figure out the science behind bullying and abuse, along with the way it harmed brains, and strategies for recovery. He wrote the foreword to the book and said that The Bullied Brain is “the MOST completely thoroughly scientific treatment of the subject on planet earth.” I can’t wait to share the science of well-being that I discovered!
We need leadership to be healthy and strong and mindful. In other words, we need leaders’ brains to be healthy and strong and mindful. Leaders have the challenge of not only striving for personal well-being, but also the holistic well-being of their organization. Join me this week as I daily discuss the brain’s role in mindful leadership and the science that fuels my understanding of holistic well-being.
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The Bullied Brain Book
