Doing the Brain Huddle
Understanding how we think is the key to everything in our lives.
It is also key to how we may lead.
There is so much material available now on the anatomy of the brain and this is complex enough, but thought processes and human behaviour at times can seem bewildering.? Especially when events take a sharp turn to the cataclysmic.
Jill Bolte Taylor is a neuroscientist who already knew plenty about brain anatomy was then herself, at the age of 37, struck down by a cerebral haemorrhage—a stroke.? You may have seen her TED talk about her 8 year journey to recovery and you may have read her My Stroke of Insight, published in 2008.
The practitioner became a patient and in parallel with her intensely personal learning experiences had grown up with a brother suffering from schizophrenia and later became the primary carer of her father for 16 years after a road accident changed his personality.
You could say that she is well qualified then to write Whole Brain Living—including a model to explain so much about human behaviour.
Her great learning we can turn off and on our emotional circuitry.? She says that overwhelmingly…
“Humans are feeling creatures who think.”
…and that a bias for logical thinking and ignoring our feelings may derail our mental health.
Taylor describes the left hemisphere of the brain as being in charge of logical thinking, timing sequences, the past and the future—which she lost in her stroke.? The right hemisphere, she says, brings in multiple streams of data in the here and now.? This being in the present brought her great peace, simplicity and clarity—but she couldn’t initially remember so much about events, people and connections.
She has developed a model that has 4 Characters constantly in play—and probably one that is our Primary Character.? We need to be aware of each and that we can step in and out of them to our great advantage.?
The Left Brain is logical and judgmental, home of our:
The Right Brain is home to our mercy and compassion:
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This Character 4 is our all-knowing intelligence and balances the expression of all the Characters.? This brings us to the Brain Huddle, in which we may:
When we find ourselves in difficulty, we may apply this methodology to bring hitherto unknown resolution.
Taylor highlights the available melds of Characters—for instance, the free-flowing and creative Character 3 supported by the highly pragmatic Character 1 is very productive and makes for a great collaboration.? This combination may can be internal (when we create if for ourselves) or external (when we work with another person).
In the Brain Huddle is the key at times of routine stress or whether we are recovering from addiction or from emotional pain.
In mapping this with our younger staff members or our own children, we should keeping in mind that that, as Taylor says, the human brain doesn’t fully mature until 25 years old.? It may even be beyond some people to fully access their Character 4.
As fully-rounded leaders, we know that our work is dominated by the people side of the business.? And in this, as Taylor says:
“When it comes to relationships, when we know better, we do better.”
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Next week:? The Five Main Motivators
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About the Author
Jeff Bell?is Principal of executive consultancy ResultsWise in Perth, Western Australia.?To boost your leadership, ask Jeff about consulting, coaching, strategy facilitation, Band of Leaders Australia (BOLA) [email protected] or Advanced Leadership Course [email protected] Mobile 0439 988 662.