The Sabotaging Brain

Intention. What is it? In this instance, I consciously think about proceeding with an action or thought. The general assumption that my intention would most likely be to my advantage or the benefit of those variables, people, or projects I have connected with and cared for is fair, but would it be accurate?

I have long wondered why we have the best intentions to be the best person we can be, the best employee or student, leader, friend, spouse, parent, and human. Yet, our efforts toward rewarding experiences are often dotted with sketchy and sabotaging behaviors.

I see it in most interviews I conduct - the reaction from a guest, regardless of their relative notoriety, revealing a rarely shared expression of "...hmm." They pause as if they might need a minute to reflect on a question based within their story.

I've asked a question that does not reside in the shallows but rather piercingly deep into the 'why' of their narrative. If I've done my job, the discussion proceeds authentically and vividly.

Suppose I've struggled to create an environment of general wonder. In that case, the conversation tends to meander down pre-developed talking points, dripping in ones and zeros, often of little consequence to the 'why' of the human before me.

The reticence to wrap our neural arms around our story isn't novel. And, it has yet to be needed any more than it is now across the globe.

We live in an increasingly consequential world where the stakes of 'why' and sometimes survival shatter the metaphorical meter. How are we to interpret the world around us? And the 'ask' of this world, of us?

Can we assist our children to live in ambiguity for a world that is racing to complete the now outdated and deeply innate human experience of exploration and the rising of the Phoenix through the ashes of past defeats? AI and the frailty of a globally connected and codependent economy have most generations wondering if they can trust their own intention and subsequent actions.

Throughout history, our backstop to everything embodying the human experience or experiment has been depicted through story. The more intense the squeeze of life, the more nourishing the experience, if expressed through story.

When I'm speaking publicly or moderating a panel discussion, I like to ask two questions of the leaders before me:

1. What is the greatest misconception about you?
2. How do you think you are perceived?

The experience of leadership can't be distilled into seven steps - it has to emanate from our relationship with ourselves. Only then can others truly view a horizon line cast from truth. - Dr. Rod Berger

These questions carefully encourage the recipient to cast themselves in the story of their own life personally or professionally. Our brains, though default or some might say, sabotage our efforts by leaning into thinly constructed prose that effectively has the opposite effect by creating distance.

As we proceed down life's path, our brains stack together experiences: the good, bad, and unfortunate, stitching together markers symbolizing a well-lived life. The intention is that we must look toward the horizon to survive and thrive.

As many of us grapple with defining our professional purpose while honoring the personal residue of a life baked in intention, we ought to contemplate how intentional we are about the stories we tell and who we cast as characters in our stories.

Shying away from our own stories through pristine LinkedIn profiles and resumes limits our potential to forge a new and vibrant path for our companies, our teams, and our families.

The next time you find yourself standing in front of investors or a segment of your leadership team, ask yourself this:

• If I intend to embolden this group to embrace the opportunity before us, can I afford to craft a story that doesn't include me as an equally human character to the people I'm speaking with?

When not victims of an analytical mind, our stories are there for us when we interview for a job, ask someone to marry us or start a pitch in a boardroom.

Stories invite others into a shared vision.

Stories inspire action.

-Rod

...more to come.

If you've got an idea I should ponder, or if you're a leader interested in an interview, check out my website and connect. www.drrodberger.com

#csuite #leadership #storyteller #corporateleaders #business #GenZ

If you haven't had a chance to check out my newsletter I'd love for you to check it out and subscribe.