What is Neuroleadership?
Neuroleadership was a term coined by David Rock, CEO of Results Coaching Systems, in 2006. It grew out of a need to understand more about how we could be better leaders to be more effective at leading others and ourselves by engaging with what our brain tells us about being human. It emerged at a time when, thanks to an increase in research technologies, neuroscientists were able to observe live human brains (for example by using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanners) and discover many insights about how our brains work.
The field of neuroleadership explores the neural basis of leadership and management practices, and gathers findings from a range of different sources such as social cognitive and affective neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, integrative neuroscience, neurobiology and other domains within neuroscience. It is hoped that by developing a science for leadership, that takes into account the physiology of the mind and the brain, it becomes more readily accessible to those leaders who are interested in development and improvement of self and others. It turns the soft skills of professional development into hard skills by getting the science behind it. I particularly like that the emphasis of neuroleadership is on people rather than management or leadership functions and it emphasises how we connect and inter-relate with one another.
What is Conversational Intelligence(r)?
A seemingly simple act such as talking with a colleague - a small momentary exchange of words in a hallway - has the ability to alter someone’s life permanently. Phrases like “ You can’t do that!” and “If only you knew how!” may take only seconds to utter, but they can be life changing. There is little connection between the time it takes to say the words and the impact they may have on a person, a relationship, or within an organization.
Conversations have the ability to trigger emotional reactions. Words carry baggage. They are rarely neutral. Words carry a history of years of use. Each time another experience overlays another meaning and it all gets collected somewhere in our brain - the vault - it’s there, ready to be activated during a conversation.
Conversations carry meaning that becomes more embedded in the listener than the speaker. We communicate with each other through conversations; we connect to others through conversations. Once the umbilical cord is cut, conversations are the connectivity that keeps us together. However, words are not external, objective reality. They are projections of our own inner reality.
Language is instinctual. It is also utilitarian. All animals use language to communicate, and most of all to signal each other about how to explore, navigate, and survive the environments in which they live.
Conversational Intelligence® is the intelligence hardwired into every human being to enable us to navigate successfully with others. Through language and conversations we learn to build trust, to bond, to grow, and build partnerships with each other to create and transform our societies. There is no more powerful skill hardwired into every human being than the wisdom of conversations.
How Do These Coaching Techniques Benefit Me?
Great question! Here's how I would describe it: xyz.
Here's how my clients have described it:
Yvonne's strength is her combination of successful strategy and structure mixed with realistic, operational experience. She is an effective coach with a history of positive feedback and results from clients.
- Sr. HR Generalist/Business Partner
Yvonne is a dynamic and talented organization development professional who designs very innovative programs and facilitates with high energy and passion.
-Team Excellence and Engagement Leader
A strategic thinker, she is always at least one step ahead of the game, taking the initiative to anticipate success. Yvonne has a depth and breadth of experience, knowledge, competency, and intuition that is rare. Rarer still, she brings her whole heart and her whole self to what she does…all with a sense of humor that makes her a joy to work with!
- Executive Coach, Leadership Development and Training
As my career coach, Yvonne helped me to develop and focus on three goals that were important to me. She helped bridged the gap of where I was and where I wanted to be. She is a wonderful coach and I would recommend her to anyone!
- Web Manager/Network Specialist
As a coach, Yvonne created an amazing experience…truly life changing lessons by challenging me to look at myself and the bigger picture; crafting and practicing tools that allowed me to think before reacting; being supportive listener, caring and understanding. Her approach and expertise in this field has helped me to build both confidence and clarity in all areas of my life. What she has taught me will always be with me.
-Administrative Manager and Healthcare Professional
