Leadership and Neuroscience

Have you ever wondered what makes a leader’s brain different? What makes it tic? What makes team-building, decision-making, and inspiration easier for some than others? How does one maximize this potential? Well, thanks to today’s advances in neuroscience, we are beginning to see answers to those questions. Recently, Professor Michael Platt, Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, sat down for the new Meet-the-Author interview series, highlighting exciting research coming out of the Wharton School.

Platt’s new book, The Leader’s Brain, begins to explain how certain genetic traits in our neuro-physiology may predispose some to be more talented leaders. It can also explain why two different leaders will make drastically different decisions when presented with the same problem, and why even the most charismatic and talented leaders can sometimes make disastrous mistakes.

Check out Wharton marketing Professor Peter Fader’s interview with Platt (originally live streamed on Wharton’s LinkedIn page) to get a great introduction to the new book, and even pick up a few tips on how to maximize the parts of your own brain that make a great leader.

Leadership: Empathy and Inspiration

In 2009 Simon Sinek rocked the business world with his TEDx talk entitled "How Great Leaders Inspire Action".  With over 50 million views (yes, you read that right), his simple talk (which later spawned his best selling book "Start With Why") inspired us all to rethink how we approached our customers, employees, vendors, bankes, lawyers, families, and friends.

Three years ago, Mr. Sinek again shared his thoughts.  During this period of social unrest, they could not be more important.  Watch Mr. Sinek explain why a leader's real job is not as much about being in charge, as much as it is about taking care of those in their charge.