“The brain is wider than the sky” – Emily Dickinson, Poet.
While Emily Dickinson wasn’t a neuroscientist, she was absolutely right. The human brain holds incredible, untapped potential, and modern neuroscience is proving just how much of that potential can be harnessed to drive performance and productivity in the workplace.
For businesses continuing to navigate a competitive market, the real advantage may not lie in technology or strategy alone, but also in understanding the brain. Neuroscience suggests that by changing the way we think, we can significantly improve how we engage with, motivate others and make better decisions, all while improving personal and organisational performance.
When the impact of ideas, beliefs, behaviours, and habits are more easily understood, neuroscience can help professionals work more effectively, resulting in a deeper understanding of the business, colleagues, competitors, consumers, and clients. It can also help businesses create more effective marketing strategies, products, and services that appeal to their customers’ needs and desires.
Why neuroscience matters in business
Neuroscience - the study of the brain and nervous system - gives us powerful tools to better understand what drives human behaviour, emotion, and decision-making. In the workplace, this insight is incredibly important. According to The British Neuroscience Association: “The brain is responsible for our thoughts, mood, emotions and intelligence… It makes us who we are and facilitates almost every aspect of what it means to be alive.”
Harnessing its power for business use doesn’t mean becoming an expert in brain science but rather understanding and applying relevant insights from this field to enhance business performance.
We know that much of what determines employee engagement, creativity, resilience, and collaboration is shaped not just by external circumstances, but by the brain’s internal wiring. And crucially, that wiring isn’t fixed. It can be rewired through leadership practices that respect and support how the brain actually works.
When it comes to futureproofing a team, neuroscience offers so much more than just a competitive edge – it essentially offers a roadmap. Don’t view it as a tool for manipulating people; utilise the brain’s natural wiring to create conditions where people do their best thinking and perform at their peak.
Understanding how the brain drives behaviour enables leaders to build trust, and in doing so, create environments where people can thrive. It’s been suggested that businesses with highly-engaged employees experience a reduction in absenteeism, which then leads to an increase in productivity – a win-win for any business.
The science of better leadership
The brain is a dynamic, adaptable organ. Thanks to neuroplasticity - the brain’s ability to rewire and adapt - it has the remarkable ability to change itself based on new experiences, challenges, and environments. This means that leaders have a real opportunity to influence how teams learn, grow, and respond to pressure – not by force, but by design.
This opens up exciting possibilities, including the ability to:
Create psychologically safe environments
The brain is wired for survival. When it detects a threat – real or perceived – it activates the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for the ‘fight or flight’ response. In business context, this might be triggered by things such as poor communication, harsh criticism, micromanagement, or unclear expectations.
When people feel unsafe, the logical, creative part of the brain (the prefrontal cortex) shuts down. But when leaders promote trust, empathy, and open dialogue, the brain shifts into a reward state, where creativity and innovation can flourish.
Tip: encourage open discussion and accept mistakes as part of learning. People can’t do their best work when they’re in survival mode.
Use goals and rewards to fuel motivation
Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, plays a huge role in motivation. When a goal is achieved, the brain releases dopamine, reinforcing positive behaviours and keeping people engaged.
For managers, this means setting clear, achievable goals and celebrating progress along the way. Recognition and progress release dopamine, while ambiguity and stagnation reduce motivation.
Tip: break larger projects or goals into meaningful milestones. Recognise effort consistently by celebrating wins, both big and small, to keep momentum high.
Understand and manage cognitive load
Our brains are not bottomless pits of energy. People often forget that the prefrontal cortex has limited capacity. When it’s overwhelmed, productivity and decision quality drop, quickly leading to burnout and mistakes.
By reducing cognitive load, leaders help their teams focus on what really matters.
Tip: be deliberate with meetings, reduce distractions, and clarify priorities. Promote quality over quantity when it comes to both output and input. Protect your team’s focus like it’s your most valuable asset – because at the end of the day, it is.
Deliver feedback that builds, not breaks
Feedback is one of the most powerful tools a leader has. But it must be delivered in a way that the brain can receive constructively. Harsh or vague feedback can trigger a social pain response – essentially a rejection signal – that causes disengagement.
Effective feedback, on the other hand, engages the brain’s learning systems. It should be timely, specific to the situation or circumstance, and delivered with empathy to establish trust.
Tip: use a coaching approach. Ask questions instead of just giving instructions.
Tap into the brain’s social wiring
Humans are social creatures. The brain is constantly scanning for social cues – belonging, fairness, status, and connection. When these needs are met, the brain functions better. When they’re threatened, performance suffers.
Leaders who understand this can design team cultures that promote inclusion and trust across the entire business.
Tip: encourage peer recognition and ensure everyone feels heard.
Good health, good business
It’s apparent that sustained high levels of stress are a danger to mental and physical outcomes – and can happen frequently in senior and executive positions. According to Mind UK, 60% of employees have experienced mental health challenges linked to workplace stress – and senior leaders are no exception.
Feeling overwhelmed and stressed can negatively affect progress, personal development, self-esteem, and confidence – both in and out of the workplace. Stress, in particular, affects areas of the brain responsible for decision-making and creativity – both vital when it comes to leading teams.
Understanding cognitive functions and the ability to keep the brain happy and healthy can take leaders from survivors to true thrivers, allowing them to deal with stress, think more clearly, and create new solutions to problems.
Bringing it all together
At its core, neuroscience shows us that people don’t perform at their best when they’re pressured, micromanaged, or ignored. They perform when they feel supported and stimulated.
The future of leadership isn’t about command and control. Understanding how people actually think, feel, and work, and then leading accordingly, has never been more important. This approach still means the smartest investment you can make is in people, and more specifically, in understanding how their brains work.
So, the next time you’re facing a team challenge or thinking about how to boost performance, consider this: the solution may not lie in another tool or tactic – but in tapping into the extraordinary power of the brain.
If you’re looking for a talented professional to join your team or a new employer to help you develop your career further, contact your nearest Reed office today.
