Your Brain and Business

Description

“If you’re interested in the hot topic of how neuroscience can make you a better leader, this is the book to read. Pillay offers solidly researched, practical insights into the many ways brain science can be used on the job: to improve relationships, negotiations, change management, and more. I found the advice for coaches particularly enlightening. Leaders at all levels and in all types of organizations will find this book a tremendously helpful resource.”

–Jocelyn R. Davis, EVP, Research and Development, The Forum Corporation, and coauthor of Strategic Speed: Mobilize People, Accelerate Execution

“Pillay has a unique ability to link the science of how our brains work to very practical implications for leadership. The implications and applications go far beyond the business world and provide insights for better managing relationships in all spheres of our lives from an ‘inside out’ perspective, giving us a scientific basis for the value of introspection.”

–Subhanu Saxena, member, Global Pharmaceutical Executive Committee, Novartis Pharma AG

“This is an extraordinarily practical tool for coaches, and those going through coaching assignments, to understand how the brain can play a role in how you work with people and create a context for meaningful and sustainable change. As we learn from Dr. Pillay’s book, leadership effectiveness is influenced by the functioning of the brain and the translation of intangibles such as trust, fairness, and openness in everyday interactions with people and organizations. Neuroscience has provided additional ‘tools’ to understand the scientific basis upon which great leaders build effective and high-performing teams and businesses.”

–Paolo Gallo, Chief Learning Officer, International Multilateral

Recent advances in brain science and neuroimaging can dramatically improve the way leaders work with colleagues to drive successful change. As the brain is increasingly examined in the context of personal and organizational development, remarkable insights are being uncovered: insights that are leading to powerful new strategies for improving business execution.

In Your Brain and Business, Harvard psychiatrist, brain-imaging researcher, and executive coach Srinivasan S. Pillay illuminates the rapidly emerging links between modern brain science and the corner office. He reveals powerful ways that neuroscientific insights can be used practically by today’s executives and presents new lessons for coaches who want to help their clients overcome common leadership problems.

Discover how leaders and coaches worldwide are already applying this knowledge to dramatically improve personal performance–and learn how you can do it, too.

• How positive thinking impacts the business brain
  Building on “strengths-based” approaches that encourage the brain to learn
• Guiding leaders and managers to more effective relationships
  Applying the fascinating neuroscience of social intelligence
• Innovation, intuition, and impostors
  Overcoming the intangible vulnerabilities in the brains of great leaders
• Transforming the idea of change into execution
  Clearing the pathways from thought to “action orientation” to real action
• Coaching the executive brain
  Specific interventions that target different brain regions and processes

Srinivasan S. Pillay, M.D., is a certified master executive coach, brain-imaging researcher, and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at  Harvard   Medical   School . He is also the Founder, CEO, and President of NeuroBusiness Group–an executive coaching company with coaches trained in the application of brain science to profitability and personal satisfaction in the business environment. Dr. Pillay has taught these methods with very high acclaim to executives from many companies, including but not limited to some of the world’s best consulting companies, The World Bank, The MITRE Corporation, Genzyme, Novartis, Arab Banks of North America, CEO Clubs of  Greece  and  Boston , Coca Cola, PepsiCo, and Microchip. He has worked with coaches in a teaching or collaborative capacity from The Forum Corporation, Mobius Executive Leadership, and Triad Consulting. In addition, he has been invited to present his work in  Boston ,  New York ,  Los Angeles ,  London ,  Switzerland ,  Greece , and  Singapore , and his most recent presentations have been to executives from Africa, Asia, and the  Middle East . Dr. Pillay is also the author of Life Unlocked: 7 Revolutionary Lessons to Overcome Fear (Rodale, August 2010), and he also writes for The Huffington Post and Psychology Today.

He is extensively sought out as a speaker and by the media. Select media appearances related to his business experience include The Financial Times in Greece, Epoca Magazine in Brazil, Forbes Magazine, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Investors Business Daily, Atlanta Journal Constitution, and the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Aside from his work on applying brain science to improving business performance, Dr. Pillay is also regarded as an international expert in burnout, stress, and anxiety, having been the Director of the Outpatient Anxiety Disorders Program at  Mclean   Hospital , consistently ranked the top freestanding psychiatric hospital in the  United States  for the past 20 years. Dr. Pillay lives in  Newton ,  MA , and works out of  Cambridge ,  MA .

What does neuroscience have to do with leadership? Everything. Recent advances in brain science and neuroimaging can dramatically improve the way leaders work with colleagues to drive successful change. As the brain is increasingly examined in the context of personal and organizational development, remarkable insights are being uncovered: insights that are leading to powerful new strategies for improving business execution. In Your Brain and Business, Harvard psychiatrist and executive coach Srinivasan S. Pillay illuminates the rapidly-emerging links between modern brain science and the corner office. Pillay reveals six powerful ways that brain science can be used by today’s executives, and presents powerful new interventions for coaches who want to help their clients overcome common leadership problems. Discover how to use positive, “strengths-based” approaches to encourage the brain to learn… how the fascinating neuroscience of social intelligence can help leaders encourage more effective relationships… how to promote innovation and intuition, and overcome intangible vulnerabilities in leaders’ brains… how to transform the “idea” of change into crisp, timely execution… and much more. Leaders and coaches worldwide are already applying this knowledge to dramatically improve personal performance. Now, with Pillay’s help, everyone can.

Chapter 1 Relevance of Neuroscience to the Business Environment     1

Chapter 2 How Does Positive Thinking Affect the Business Brain?     25

Chapter 3 The Neuroscience of Social Intelligence: Guiding Leaders and Managers to Effective Relationships     59

Chapter 4 Of Innovation, Intuition, and Impostors: Intangible Vulnerabilities in the Brains of Great Leaders     91

Chapter 5 The Challenge Prior to Change: How Brain Science Can Bring Managers and Leaders from Idea to Action Orientation     121

Chapter 6 From Action Orientation to Change: How Brain Science Can Bring Managers and Leaders from Action Orientation to Action     155

Chapter 7 Coaching Brain Regions     183

Chapter 8 Coaching Brain Processes     217

Index 255

Lessons from the latest studies in neuroscience on how to train your brain to be an effective leader and manager.

• Neuroscience discoveries that help executives lead and communicate more effectively, drive change more successfully, and supercharge their personal performance.
• Leverage “social intelligence” to guide colleagues toward more effective relationships.
• Execute more crisply by clearing the pathways from thought to “action-orientation” to real action.

Harvard psychiatrist and executive coach Srinivasan S. Pillay illuminates the rapidly-emerging links between modern brain science and the corner office. What does neuroscience have to do with leadership? Everything. In Your Brain and Business: The Neuroscience of Great Leaders, Phillay discusses recent advances in brain science and neuroimaging and how they can dramatically improve the way leaders work with colleagues to drive successful change. As the brain is increasingly examined in the context of personal and organizational development, remarkable insights are being uncovered: insights that are leading to powerful new strategies for improving business execution.

Pillay reveals six ways that brain science can be used by today’s executives, and presents new interventions for coaches who want to help their clients overcome common leadership problems. Discover how to:

• Use positive, “strengths-based” approaches to encourage the brain to learn
• Encourage more effective relationships through the fascinating neuroscience of social intelligence
• Promote innovation and intuition, and overcome intangible vulnerabilities in leaders’ brains
• Transform the “idea” of change into crisp, timely execution 

Leaders and coaches worldwide are already applying this knowledge to dramatically improve personal performance. Now, with Pillay’s help, everyone can.

Lessons from the latest studies in neuroscience on how to train your brain to be an effective leader and manager.

• Neuroscience discoveries that help executives lead and communicate more effectively, drive change more successfully, and supercharge their personal performance.
• Leverage “social intelligence” to guide colleagues toward more effective relationships.
• Execute more crisply by clearing the pathways from thought to “action-orientation” to real action.

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