This innovative, one-of-a-kind workshop will present some of the most recent findings about the brain together with implications for managing and leading employees. The workshop will challenge many current management practices by presenting relevant research on the social and emotional nature of the brain. Biography Robert has developed a reputation as a pioneer in using neuroscience-supported tools and processes that challenge current management practices that date back over 50 years. Robert Paris is one of the first and very few professionals in Canada who have earned their Certificate in the Foundations of Neuroleadership from the Neuroleadership Institute led by Dr. David Rock. Robert has 35 years combined practical management and consulting experience that spans 5 continents. He has 15 years of results-oriented management experience at blue chip companies such as Johnson & Johnson and has an established track record of successfully designing and facilitating management, leadership, team-building and coaching programs that give organizations a long term, sustainable competitive advantage. Robert is an exceptionally engaging executive coach whose advice is highly valued by CEOs, other C-Suite executives, middle managers and first-time supervisors. Robert has 25 years teaching experience at McGill University. He currently lectures at McGill’s School of Continuing Studies and is certified in the Foundations of Neuroleadership, Points of You™ Leadership & Coaching, Whole Brain Thinking™ and Simplexity™ Complex Problem-Solving. Robert’s dynamic personality, business and academic experience and use of 21st century leadership and coaching tools place him among the leaders in corporate training and development programs.

1. The Brain & Leadership
How to maximize
your team’s real potential
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2. The Brain
The brain is the
source of:
Who we are
What we do
How we do it

3. Workshop Objectives
Present emerging knowledge of the brain and relate
it to personal and team leadership
Use knowledge of the brain to understand why
project execution is so difficult
Present ‘brain-friendly’ ideas related to project
execution and team leadership
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4. Workshop Outline
Intro
Six challenges in executing project plans
Whole Brain Thinking presentation/discussion
The SCARF model
Best change management practices
Building trust
Workshop summary
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5. Who Am I?
ROBERT PARIS, MBA, CSP
President of Myelin Leadership
International
Lecturer at McGill University
15 years management experience - J&J
20 years consulting experience focused
on leadership development, coaching,
innovation & whole brain thinking
Certified in the Foundations of
NeuroLeadership
Strong experience in helping grow
businesses via connecting people to
each other
Clients: Cirque du Soleil, IMS Health,
The Phi Group, Hitek Logistic, Xstrata
Nickel, ICAO, McGill, Fednav Canada,
RGA, FTI Canada, NACUBO, etc.

6. The Brain & Leadership
Six challenges in executing project plans
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7. 1. Neuroscience of Distrust
Higher levels of cortisol shut down the prefrontal
cortex and our ability to think empathetically and
with good judgment
Amygdala activated - "fight or flight" networks
turned on
Higher levels of testosterone and norepinephrine,
with heightened aggressiveness and negativity
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8. Feeling trust releases:
• Dopamine, which gives
us feelings of
optimism, positivity,
feeling good and
excitement
• Oxytocin, which helps
us feel closer to others
and a desire to want to
collaborate with them
• Serotonin, which helps
make us feel good
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Neuroscience of trust

9. “Negativity bias" in
organizations: "the
phenomenon by which
humans pay more attention to
and give more weight to
negative rather than positive
experience or other kinds of
information“
There are five times more
negative networks than
positive networks in the brain
Impact on work cultures is
devastating
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2. Negativity in the workplace

10. Most managers tend to
focus on rational
thinking while ignoring
the role that emotions
play in the behaviors of
their employees and
customers
In implementing project
plans, emotions play a
critical role
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3. Rational vs. Emotional Brain

11. 4. Three Cognitive Biases in Planning
Accountability Bias - We believe we can control
outcomes more than is actually the case, resulting in
poor risk assessments
Status Quo Bias - We prefer the status quo in the
absence of pressure to change it
Present Bias - We value immediate rewards and
under-value long term gains
There are 9 other common cognitive biases
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12. Environmental trigger – “any
stimulus that reshapes our
thoughts and actions”
Our environment is a nonstop
triggering mechanism whose
impact is too significant to be
ignored
It seems that the brain was
designed to allow us to
effectively plan but not
adequately cope with the
inevitable change that will
occur as we implement our
plans
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5. Environmental Triggers

13. 6. The Brain Sees Change as a Threat
The brain’s error detection system
• When change occurs, the brain generates error detection
signals as a result of new incoming stimuli that conflict
with existing mental maps

14. Summary
• Implementing project plans is difficult, given:
• Low levels of trust
• Toxic work cultures
• Failing to account for the emotional natures of the brain
• The brain’s cognitive mental biases
• Environmental triggers
• The brain sees change as a threat
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15. The Brain & Leadership
Solution 1
Whole Brain Thinking
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16. Use your whole brain to leverage your thinking
preferences and identify your thinking gaps
Different tasks and problems
require different mental
processes, and the way people
prefer to think influences how
they process information,
tackle projects, interact with
others and view opportunities
In other words, how you prefer
to think affects how you
behave. Each of these different
thinking preferences brings
unique value

17. WHOLE BRAIN THINKING
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18. Think About Communicating
WholeBrain®andthefour-color,four-quadrantgraphicareregisteredtrademarksofHerrmannGlobal.
©HerrmannGlobal2013.

19. Developing a Strategic Plan the Whole Brain Way
A
•Goal definition
•Fact gathering
•Analysis of information
•Clear understanding of
relevant facts
•Financial considerations
•Technical aspects
•Analyzing impact of future on
today’s decisions
DT
•Risk taking
•Relentless pursuit of opportunities
•Seeing into the future
•Perceiving “the possibilities”
•Making connections and synthesizing
•Insights and ahas of solutions
•Big picture of the path forward
B
•Breaking the big picture into key
action points
•Putting together a sequential set
of action steps in the form of a plan
•Thinking through the
consequences of the approach
•Administration & organization of
the plan
•Implementation
•Follow-up
•Evaluation C
•Writing scenarios
•Effective communication of the plan
•Gaining belief, “buy-in” & enthusiasm
•Working through people issues
•Focus on satisfying and serving
customers
•Tie into the values of the organization
•Training for new skills

20. A clear common purpose,
goals and performance
objectives?
An understanding of our
budget and financial
resources?
All the data and research we
need?
Technology that can enable
us?
Clear measurements?
Guidelines, agendas, and
ground rules to help us use our
time together effectively?
The resources we need?
Agreed-upon processes?
Clear priorities, a plan and a
timeline?
Clear responsibilities and
accountabilities?
An understanding of each other?
Facilitation skills available to us?
An understanding of our
"Customers?”
Clear understanding of each other's
roles and how we interact?
Agreements on how we'll
communicate with each other and
with our customers?
A vision of our successful
future?
An idea of how our work fits
into the larger organizational
strategy?
A willingness to take risk?
New ideas and solutions that
challenge the status quo?
An idea of how we fit into the
big picture and global
perspective?
To what extent do we have? To what extent do we have?
To what extent do we have? To what extent do we have?
Small
Extent
Great
Extent
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Extent
Great
Extent
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Extent
Great
Extent
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Extent
Great
Extent
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B
D
C
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Team Ready-for-Action Assessment
The four-color, four-quadrant graphic and Whole Brain® are registered trademarks of Herrmann Global, LLC.
© Herrmann Global, LLC 2014

21. The Brain & Leadership
Solution 2
SCARF Model
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22. THE SOCIAL BRAIN
•Social Pain
•Social Brain
Networks
•Mirror Neurons
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23. THE SCARF MODEL

24. LEADERSHIP IMPLICATIONS
Make employees feel better about themselves and
provide positive feedback (status)
Provide clear expectations and give ongoing feedback
(certainty)
Avoid micro managing and allow people to make their
own decisions (autonomy)
Spend time building trust & relationships (relatedness)
Be transparent and open in communications (fairness)
Become effective coaches (all domains)
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25. The Brain & Leadership
Other Solutions
25

26. Characteristics of an
Effective Organization
React
Routine
Proactive

27. Anticipating new problems, trends,
opportunities
Pro-actively seeking new methods and
technologies
Deliberately changing and disrupting
routine
Adaptability

28. Simplexity Process

29. • Include employee focus groups
• Focus more attention on cultivating “moments of
insight”
• Communicate in a transparent manner the need to
change
• Ensure that management keeps employees focused
• Give employees real power to implement their
solutions
• Use both intrinsic and extrinsic incentives to change
A CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROCESS SHOULD…

30. COVEY’S VIEW OF TRUST
Strategy X Execution X Trust = Results

32. SUMMARY
To overcome challenges associated with
implementing project plans
• Become a ‘whole brain’ thinker
• Bring a SCARF to work!
• Anticipate change before it happens
• Use best change management practices
• Build trust!
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33. For more information
robert@myelinleadership.com
www.myelinleadership.com
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34. The Brain & Leadership
How to maximize
your team’s real potential
34