This presentation was made to various leadership teams in Canadian Organizations over the past 3 years to build leadership capacity. The presenter, Behavioral Change Expert, Heather Hilliard, has worked with over 300 organizations globally during the last 20 years. From entrepreneurial startups to global organizations, Heather has helped leaders grow their business to the next level.

1. Leadership systems that
create powerful companies
Leading Using the Whole Brain
A Brain-based Approach to Leadership &
Leadership Team Development
Facilitated by Heather Hilliard
Behavioral Change Expert

2. About the Speaker
 Leadership & behavioural change
expert with over 20 years’ experience working with
individuals, couples, teams, leaders and organizations to
eliminate dysfunction and maximize potential
 Principal, Caliber Leadership Systems
offering an holistic, systems-based approach to leadership
& organizational development and behavioural change
 Creator, Striving Styles®
Personality
System, a neuro-psychological framework for development
& behavioural change
 Author, Who Are You Meant To Be?
A Groundbreaking, Step-by-Step Approach to
Discovering and Fulfilling Your True Potential

3. Meeting Objectives
 Review Striving Styles (functions of the brain)
 Using all four quadrants of the brain in leadership
& performance development
 Understand the Self-Protective and Self-
Actualizing System
 Behavioral competencies from each quadrant of
the brain (SP & SA behaviors)
 Discuss examples of where SP behaviors are
creating barriers, etc.

4. Leading Using the Whole Brain

5. Review of the SSPS
 We have four functions in four quadrants of the
brain
 Each function has two aspects, inner and outer
 We prefer one area of our brain over the 3 others
 It is an inborn preference, not a developed
strength
 Dominance impairs development
of an integrated brain

6. Review of the SSPS
 Each function has a
psychological need
that must be met
 Failure to meet the
need results in
emotional distress
 Revert to emotional
behavior to get need
met
 Development is
delayed

7. Striving Styles in the 4 Quadrants

8. Integrating the 4 Quadrants
 Need to understand how the
functions produce specific
leadership behaviors
 You can decide what functions
to use in different situations
 Are not limited to functioning
from one quadrant, even
though it is easier to do so

9. Developing Leadership
Capabilities by Understanding
How the Brain Develops

10. How Our Brain Develops
 We have three brains; don’t all
develop at the same time
 To ensure our survival, our
brains develop from the
brainstem up
 the brainstem (instinctual
brain) is almost fully
functional at birth
 the emotional brain is
slower to develop and
mature
 the rational brain develops
last

11. Self-Protective System
 Wired to protect us from real
or perceived threats to our
survival
 Activated by fear and other
associated emotions (anxiety,
disappointment, prolonged
stress)
 Threats may be external or
internal, real or imagined
 React first, think later
 Goal is to survive whatever is
happening, without thinking of
the consequences

12. Self-Actualizing System
 Regulates impulses from the instinctual brain
 Future oriented; allows us to:
 sets goals, visions,
 delay gratification,
 makes decisions based on plans
 Manage our behavior, urges, emotions, and
thoughts
 Lets us respond to situations instead of reacting to
them, trying to solve problems rather than
focusing on our emotions

13. Activators of the SP System
 Our SP System is always
running in the background,
ready to react
 Can be activated by anything
frightening or that is perceived
as a threat
 Communication in the brain
bypasses the rational brain
and goes directly to automatic
reactions
 Easily frightened, startled or
on the defensive

14. Activators of the SP System
 For each Style there are
certain activators that
trigger self-protective
behaviors
 These are based on:
 the predominant need
 the function of the brain
quadrant they reside in
 Tactics used are designed
to meet the need

15. Living in our SP System
 Self protective behaviors are
more emotionally charged, and
at times, destructive rather than
productive
 We tell ourselves stories about
what is happening that inflame
the situation
 Have a “me” orientation rather
than a we
 Unable to cooperate or negotiate

16. Activators of the SP System
 We downshift and
full use of the
rational brain is
suspended and
more control is
taken by SP
System
 We react using
emotional
reasoning,
protecting
ourselves from
perceived threats
Threat, or
perceive
threat
Rational Brain
Emotional
Brain
Instinctual
Brain

17. Leading from the Self-Actualizing System
 This requires you to:
 know the four Striving
Styles on your Squad and
their SP and SA behaviors
 know which of the Styles
to use in various situations
 recognize when you have
shifted to SP behaviors
and shift
 develop the Associate
Style(s) that is limiting
your success as a leader

18. Leadership systems that
create powerful companies
Your Striving Style
Squad & Leadership
Functions

19. Four Functions in Leadership

20. Leadership Team Distribution
Need to be in
Control
Need to be
Perceptive

21. Function of the Left Rational Brain
 Decides the way the world must be and make sure
everything conforms
 Decides what something (or someone) is, where it
belongs, what its usefulness is
 Plans, sorts and organizes experiences
 Forms our self-concept – the idea of who we are
 “Tells” it the way it is

22. Left Rational Brain

23. Self-Actualizing Behaviors -Leader
 You know you are in your Self-Actualizing
Leader when you:
 use a structured, disciplined approach without being
rigid
 allow employees to participate in decisions where
possible
 consider needs and feelings of others; empathize
 listen to feedback from others; hold yourself
accountable for your development and behavior
 have difficult performance discussions with key
people
 hold yourself accountable to following your own
systems
 reflect on how you affect others; adapt your approach
 delegate, coach and allow employees to develop

24. Self-Protective Behaviors - Leader
 You know you are in your Self-Protective
Leader when you:
 have to keep moving forward despite issues; impatient
 dominate and intimidate others
 make decisions without considering the impact on others
 don’t accept feedback about own behavior
 focus on fastest way to goal; ignore systems and
processes
 dismiss/ignore people that don’t perform to your
expectations
 don’t engage relationally; express displeasure, not
appreciation
 are overly critical; do employees work for them

25. Exercise
Consider the following:
 Are you using your SA Leader consistently enough
to meet the needs of the business?
 What situations do you use your SP Leader? Why?
 What problems are being caused by using your SP
Leader?
 What Style do you need to use to deal with this
situation?
Discuss with team

26. Function of the Right Rational Brain
 Function of this quadrant is
to:
 innovate, adapt, envision
 discover meaning and
possibilities
 imagine, conceptualize
and synthesizes
information and
experiences
 to “know” without
“knowing why”
 create our “self-image

27. Right Rational Brain

28. Self-Actualizing Behaviors -Visionary
 You know you are in your Self-Actualizing
Visionary when you:
 hold your vision despite obstacles or perspectives of
others
 use a systematic approach to staying connected with
others
 ask for input and don’t retreat from opposing viewpoints
 use a conflict management process
 set realistic goals for yourself and others
 follow the sequence and steps to get to your vision
 “walk the talk” by using the systems you develop
 use a paper system for giving direction and
instructions

29. Self-Protective Behaviors - Visionary
 You know you are in your Self-Protective
Visionary when you:
 fail to hold your own vision
 are not consistent in relationships
 work, make decisions and plan independently
 see and identify issues without acting on them
 set unrealistic goals for yourself and others
 push to achieve your vision without awareness
of the impact
 don’t use your own systems
 believe others understand what you want
without checking

30. Exercise
Consider the following:
 Are you using your SA Visionary consistently
enough to meet the needs of the business?
 What situations do you use your SP Visionary?
Why?
 What problems are being caused by using your SP
Visionary?
 What Style do you need to use to deal with this
situation?
Discuss with team

31. Function of the Left Emotional Brain
 Function of this quadrant is to:
 act, move, do
 experience physical
sensations
 repeat experiences to
recreate known sensations
 repeat and reproduce
activities in specific
sequence and order
 seek and experience
positive or negative
emotions

32. Left Emotional Brain

33. Self-Actualizing Behaviors - Adventurer
 You know you are in your Self-Actualizing
Adventurer when you:
 use a planning process and adhere to plans
 consider implications before acting; prioritize activities
 see the impact that lack of follow-through has on
everyone
 use a performance management system
 communicate when unable to reach deadlines
 are realistic about what can be achieved
 reflect on mistakes and make corrections to behavior
 make sure others on board before moving forward

34. Self-Protective Behaviors - Adventurer
 You know you are in your Self-Protective
Adventurer when you:
 fail to plan or engage employees in a planning process
 are reactive; don’t distinguish between urgent and
important
 do what you feel like, despite other priorities or
commitments
 fail to recognize employee’s need for goals, feedback
 fail to meet deadlines and cause delays
 demand positivity from employees
 refuse to take responsibility and blame others
 drive your own agenda without concern for big
picture

35. Exercise
Consider the following:
 Are you using your SA Adventurer consistently
enough to meet the needs of the business?
 What situations do you use your SP Adventurer?
Why?
 What problems are being caused by using your SP
Adventurer?
 What Style do you need to use to deal with this
situation?
Discuss with team

36. Function of the Right Emotional Brain
 Function of this quadrant is
to:
 relate and bond to others
 evaluate experiences
 maintain harmony
 produce emotions
 empathize
 store and recall negative
emotional memories

37. Right Emotional Brain

38. Self-Actualizing Behaviors - Artist
 You know you are in your Self-Actualizing
Artist when you:
 develop a disciplined approach to work; firm but
fair
 don’t tolerate poor performance
 take responsibility for making decisions and leading
 express and communicate assertively
 emerge conflict and issues as they happen
 appropriately express own opinion; raise
contentious issues
 set challenging performance plans
 stay engaged with team despite feeling pressured

39. Self-Protective Behaviors - Artist
 You know you are in your Self-Protective
Artist when you:
 don’t establish or act from your own authority
 overlook real deficiencies in employees skills
 fail to establish objectives and direction for employees
 put supporting your employees ahead of your own work
 fear direct conflict and back down when confronted
 withhold your opinion unless confident of positive
outcome
 fail to make yourself available to employees
 create performance plans that require minimal
effort

40. Exercise
Consider the following:
 Are you using your SA Artist consistently enough
to meet the needs of the business?
 What situations do you use your SP Artist? Why?
 What problems are being caused by using your SP
Artist?
 What Style do you need to use to deal with this
situation?
Discuss with team

41. Using the Striving Styles with
Employees
 Knowing your employee’s Style allows you to
identify behaviors associated with their SP System
 Are able to help employees:
 deal with activators of the SP System
 develop use of other brain function
 Allows you to lead the employees performance
instead of accommodating it from your own SP
System

42. Our Approach
 Striving Styles Personality System is a neuro-
psychological framework for development,
behavioural change and achieving potential
 Can be integrated into any development program
 Audit existing programs to ensure design & delivery
reflect personality, emotions and how the brain learns
 Facilitate organizational change, eliminate dysfunction
and disengagement
 Build expertise of anyone involved in training,
development & behavioural change by becoming a
Practitioner
Evo lutio n o f Jung’ s Psycho logicalType & the MBTI®

43. Leadership systems that
create powerful companies
Contact us
We offer a range of services – organizational, leadership &
team development, succession, performance & rewards,
cultural change & coaching
We offer a Practitioner Program for anyone interested in
using the SSPS in their L&D programs.
www.CaliberLeadership.com
416.406.3939
hhilliard@caliberleadership.com