In the realm of leadership, understanding the intricacies of human behavior and cognitive function can significantly amplify your impact. Neuroscience offers powerful insights into improving leadership skills, especially for those at the helm of UX design teams. Here’s how you can leverage neuroscience to elevate your leadership…

If you are in a position of power at your company, you likely are good at identifying and focusing on the tasks and details that matter — and ignoring the rest. The stronger you are at this focusing/ignoring dance, the better you likely are at…

In today’s fast-paced work culture, the line between dedication and overwork can blur, often to the detriment of our well-being. A recent conversation with a coaching client sparked profound insight into the subtle ways our work habits shape not only our own expectations but also those of our colleagues and clients.

“Boundaries are saying yes to yourself.” — Rachel Rodgers, a business coach who helps historically excluded folks make more money. (For my female entrepreneurs out there, I highly recommend her book “We Should All Be Millionaires”). 

Leaders, how often do you check in with your most critical asset—yourself? Amidst the demands of leadership, it's easy to overlook the signals our bodies send us, until they're too loud to ignore. Let's talk about reconnecting with those signals before it's too late.

A professor once told me that school is a bike. You could walk your way to the knowledge and growth you seek (do it yourself), or you could fast-track it on wheels (get the support of an education program). That analogy stuck with me, and it guides how I think about self-investment today.

It's a common experience for design professionals to reach executive levels, only to find it's not what they expected or desired.

In a culture that emphasizes climbing the corporate ladder, the allure of higher titles, salary increases, and perceived respect is powerful. But climbing isn't for everyone. Not all are passionate about executive responsibilities, and that's perfectly fine. Design teams thrive with diverse roles, including those who choose to deepen their craft rather than manage.

Courage is choosing to do something even though you are uncomfortable and afraid. Particularly in a work environment, where there are so many forces that can trigger the GREAT FEAR of losing our financial security (and thus our homes, retirement, college funds, etc), it's a big deal to step into the unknown.

Do you see negative behaviors within your team that you aren’t voicing? What’s stopping you? 

It’s not uncommon to avoid the confrontation of holding others accountable. 

After all, it’s uncomfortable.

Avoiding confrontation is common, but it's crucial to remember that not communicating can negatively impact the whole team. It can lead to missed deadlines, poor work quality, uninformed decision-making, slowed momentum, and more.

I’ve had to flex my creative thinking muscles a lot lately while developing a new coaching program for design leaders. I block time for this work (I call it “deep thinking time”), and I really look forward to it. But, sometimes, I don’t feel particularly creative when the time arrives. Darnit!

How we talk to ourselves matters. Repetitive, negative self-talk limits what we consider possible for ourselves, shapes what we will and won’t try, and impacts our behavior. It holds us back from our potential. And the more we think a negative thought (I’m not, I can’t, I don’t deserve…), the more real estate our brains give to that kind of thinking. It’s like a snowball, rolling down a hill, gathering more snow.

It’s also why you respond in ways you wish you hadn’t 

(like that last tough encounter with a colleague, perhaps?).

🧠A quick neuroscience explainer: 

Your brain is a prediction machine. 🎰

you want to get better at saving for retirement, taking care of your physical health, strengthening your mind, or brushing your teeth consistently…you may just need to meet your future self. Here’s a funny thing about people: most of us think of our future selves as strangers. And, when the 80-year-old us is an abstraction, we are less likely to do things now that are good for our future welfare. Would you floss for a stranger? Not likely.

Leaders, think about this: Are you fostering a culture of ‘YES’ or ‘NO’? The ripple effect of your choice is profound.

🚦 Your stance on these two simple words sets a precedent. It signals to your team, and their teams in turn, what’s valued: innovation and risk-taking, or focus and discernment.

his is a painting I created back in 2010. I made large-scale, abstract work like this with no agenda, vision, or plan. I’d put random marks all over the canvas…and then step back to see what was there. Maybe I’d see a figure, a pattern, or a tree (like I did in this case). I’d go with that image, add paint to draw it out, step back, find something else, step in to add more paint, step back to see what else I could find…and so on. What emerged was always a surprise, and I found the process soothing, meditative, and fun. I didn’t know then that I was also strengthening my brain’s ability to generate insights and solve problems.

🎁 What if the challenges you are facing are a gift? I know, that can be a hard perspective to swallow when faced with getting laid off, a challenging boss, an imploding project, a budget yanked out from under you…

Some years ago, I found myself at the helm of a team strongly opposed to a decision I'd made.  Me against them. Not a place I was excited to be.

🤩 Jason Bateman. That’s who I underestimated. If you’d asked me in his “Teen Wolf Too” era if he’d be an actor with longevity and variety, I’d have said no.