MODERN LEADERSHIP
or even the willpower to act on
the decision, will be insufficient.
Understanding how to use your
three brains to make decisions is
as critical. Too often in business
the way we communicate is
directed only at the brain in
the head, in other words in a
are changing lanes’ to which his
son replied ‘But Dad you don’t do
that’. Andrew shared this story
to connect and evoke conviction
with his audience, and it worked.
I have since heard several
leaders retell that story to their
teams, demonstrating that the
engagement and connection is
immediate and long-term.
It is no surprise that companies
are developing self-awareness in
leaders to enable them to lead
from the head, heart and gut. As
Aristotle said ‘Educating the mind
without educating the heart is no
education at all.’
critical for leaders. A senior leader
recently shared with me how this
played out for her. She needed to
make a decision about whether or
not to make the final payment for
an ex-employee’s final tuition fees.
The company had agreed years
ago to sponsor the employee
but he had recently left the
organisation after years of
service. She said that the cost
was nominal and logically there
was no expectation to pay but
when she tapped into the heart
and the gut she said it just felt like
the right thing to do. Tapping into
the wisdom of the three brains
made the decision easier for her.
Communicating with
the three brains
Additionally, knowing how to
communicate in a way that is
directed at the three brains is just
very logical way. When leaders
connect to all three brains,
especially when communicating
change, they can provide clarity,
create a connection and evoke
conviction. When done right it can
significantly increase their ability
to drive real change.
Andrew Thorburn, the CEO at the
nab, is an example of a leader that
appeals to all three brains when
leading change. I recently heard
him speak about the importance
of role modeling as a leader.
To illustrate his point he shared
a story about teaching his son
to drive. When his son changed
lanes too quickly after putting
on the indicator, Andrew said to
him ‘When you change lanes, you
need to leave the indicator on
for a few seconds to indicate to
the people around you that you
Gabrielle Dolan works across
Corporate Australian helping
leaders humanise the way
the lead by being more ‘real’.
Her latest book Ignite: Real
leadership, real talk, real results,
is available online at all major
retailers. To find out more head
to www.gabrielledolan.com
January 2016
ModernBusiness
7