Managing Your Brain for Managers: The Neuroscience of Leading Self and Others

This workshop is open to anyone interested in the topic. It is also a required part of the Mid-Level Management Certificate. Get more information on the MLMC.

This 14-hour program is held over six-weeks. The workshop will be a mix of self-directed learning in the online learning platform Canvas, four live Zoom sessions, and two optional virtual Practice Circles to take a deeper dive. The self-directed learning exercises will be available in Canvas one week before the live sessions and should be completed before that date. The course structure allows you to integrate the concepts into your work (and life) by learning in chunks and then practicing. Neuroscience studies tell us this is the best way to learn and transform. The learner time investment is about 2.5 hours per week with a maximum of 4 hours in week 2.

A team's dynamism and cohesiveness have a major impact on any leader's overall success. Through neuroscience-backed techniques, this skills-focused workshop helps leaders create a psychologically safe culture, increase employee engagement and productivity and improve mental and physical well-being.

Participants in this workshop learn and practice techniques for cooling down their Lower Brain, our fear-based survival center, and activating the Higher Brain, the center for creativity, critical thinking and interpersonal connections. By employing these skills, leaders can increase their tolerance for discomfort and be better equipped to manage potentially difficult conversations and change. The results are a fulfilling and successful workplace, personal growth and a high-functioning community.

This workshop facilitates the integration of medical, brain, and social science knowledge into daily life through practical application, empowering participants to achieve lasting change.

Learning objectives

After completing this workshop, you will have:

1. Applied the simple and powerful lower brain (LB) and higher brain (HB) frameworks in your work and personal life.
2. Connected the superpowers of neuroplasticity and brain blood flow control to the benefits of applying them in your life.
3. Integrated your personal values and what you want in your life as strong motivations for your journey.
4. Described how genius is available to everyone through seeking feedback and deliberately practiced and identified an area of your life where you want to become a genius.
5. Experimented with being a 'scientist' of your unique brain and observing how it interacts with the world.
6. Applied multiple tools to prevent your LB from activating and moving toward becoming HB dominant.
7. Demonstrated the skills to prepare for and achieve successful outcomes in potentially difficult conversations through cooling your LB and activating your HB and ethically helping others cool their LB and activate their HB.