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I’m convinced that life is a puzzle. To complete it we need to put together pieces from science, art, culture and so forth.
I recently completed a course on The Science of Leadership which studies the brain and its influences on leadership styles or personalities. I won’t bore you with the details. What stood out for me was the issue of resistance to change.
Our reptilian brain is responsible for our reaction to danger: fight, flight or freeze. When change is about to happen in our organisations, our reptilian brain perceives that as dangerous and we are programmed to avoid danger. Since we are programmed to avoid danger, we naturally resist change.
To facilitate change in an organisation, it’s important for the leaders to sensitise their teams. This is done to pull team members out of the reptilian brain and activate their neolimbic or prefrontal brain. When our brain is in the neolimbic or prefrontal state, we are able to make sense of things and see the bigger picture.
It is important to understand that as humans we resist change because we perceive it as danger. What’s more important is to assess which mode (fight, flight or freeze) your team members are operating in so as to address it appropriately.
As I always say,
Be inspired to your ultimate emergence!
Nonhlanhla Nyathi
