“Manage tasks. Lead people.” An obvious thing to say. But an important distinction to hold keenly in mind, in climates as turbulent as our current chapter and when the pressure can lead to a slip in the fundamentals.

And you might like to play with this thought, further. Think of a pivotal leadership moment from recent days. How good a job did you do of distinguishing and balancing “managing the task” and “leading the person”? Or did “managing the task” blend into (attempting to) managing the person?

The human brain loves Certainty and Direction. But to really perform, the brain also needs Autonomy, Creativity, Significance and Inclusion. And these primary needs are not well looked-after when we try to manage the person.

And this gets to the crux of why I teach, train and coach Brain-Based LEADERSHIP and not Brain-Based Management. The style and approach will certainly improve your management skills. But the first principle must always be LEADERSHIP. Especially in the current climate.

If you’d like to go deeper on the First Principles of Brain-Based Leadership and find out how else a deeper appreciation for the brain can revolutionise your leadership skill, I invite you to explore our masterclass series: THE BRAIN-BASED LEADER.

Thanks for reading!

I really appreciate your readership. And if you’d like to receive new articles, as they become available and direct to your inbox, you can do that in the form below or you can subscribe here.