The Wall Street article today on "Brain, Heal Thyself" has me thinking about brain fitness as leaders. Dr. Doidge, who teaches at the University of Toronto and is a researcher at Columbia, says the brain heals and using it means we have more flexibility and significantly better outcomes for brain health. That might not be entirely new data to you, however, his discussion about how to improve our brain health is fascinating.
It does require a new perspective on light, sound, movement and energy. I visit many companies as part of our connecting with leaders about their talent and you sense the energy of their organization. The energy and interactions can be frenetic, distracting and intense. You feel it the minute you walk in to their offices or sit down for a conversation. In other cases, the light, color, and interaction with the leader is thoughtful, positive, relaxed yet quite intentional and focused. That is where we have the best discussions.
Environment plays a role here but imagine brain health as part of your wellness and leadership development philosophy. What would that look like? Someday we will be talking about that as well as tracking steps or in-house yoga classes that will make a difference. It will matter to new employees or candidates visiting to assess their role in a new relationship with you on how problems or decisions get made in your company. They will want to ask about time to carve out thinking or collaborating with others to get at issues that take a deeper dive than texts or emails. They will want to experience positive energy, lightness and environments that support our best thinking and doing.
Some leaders will see this effort as part of their commitment to health, development of leaders and all around brain fitness of their employees too.
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