David. R. Bovis M.npn – 5th April 2024.
In the linked document you will find thoughts on ....
1. Intersection of Neuroscience and Leadership: This essay delves into how neuroscience can enhance traditional leadership and management practices, offering innovative approaches to cultivating high-performance cultures in manufacturing and service sectors.
2. Beyond Conventional Wisdom: It challenges the established norms that overlook the brain's central role in driving productivity and introduces neuroscientific insights as a critical factor for successful organisational change.
3. Practical Application via Industry Veterans: The document underscores the unique value of combining neuroscientific principles with the rich, hands-on experience of seasoned industry professionals, emphasising that while scientific knowledge is powerful, the intuitive understanding from lived experience is irreplaceable and significantly increases the practicality of leaders understanding more about brain function.
4. Strategic Implications for Senior Leaders: Senior leaders and policymakers are encouraged to integrate neuroscience-informed strategies into leadership development, recognising its potential to revolutionise employee engagement, decision-making, and creative problem-solving.
5. Call to Action: A compelling argument is made for a shift towards neuroscience-based leadership practices, proposing specific recommendations for how organisations can adopt this innovative approach for measurable improvements in productivity and well-being.
Through this comprehensive essay, industry professionals will gain valuable insights into the transformative power of neuroscience in leadership and how it can be applied practically within their organisations to foster growth and adapt to the future of work.

​Ever forget why you walked into a room or where you were going, because your mind was on something else?
Ever forget the point you wanted to make, because something else took your attention, mid-sentence?
Ever get out of a business meeting, only to realise you didn't get the key bit of information you went in for?

We all recognise the benefit of planes having autopilot ... but when it comes to being human, our natural ability to function automatically, and in line with our most basic instincts can have more d ...

​In the cosmic carnival of existence, Fritjoff Capra once invited us to ponder the wild antics of quantum physics through the lens of a pool table. 

​Picture this: the balls magically disappearing through the surface and reappearing in another place, defying the predictability we associate with the good ol' Newtonian worldview. Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves on a merry-go-round of particle accelerators and quantum principles, not just in the lab but right in the heart of our own emotional rollercoaster.
​
​You see, when it comes to human behavior, we're not always predictable like a billiard ball on a determined trajectory. No, sir! Instead, we're more like the mischievous quantum particles, popping in and out of our varyied emotional states with an air of unpredictability that can leave even the most seasoned physicists scratching their heads.

​Imagine this: you wake up on a Monday morning, ready to face the week, and someone says "Good morning" with a slightly off tone. Suddenly, you find yourself spiraling ...

​This article critically examines the prevailing paradigm in psychometric profiling, rooted in Jungian findings and early 20th-century publications, which predominantly focus on human differences in terms of personality traits, temperament, preferences, and perceived 'energies.' While these methodologies have offered valuable insights into individual variations, an increasing body of evidence from neuroscience challenges the assumptions underlying such approaches. This short article argues for a paradigm shift towards a more neuroscientifically informed understanding of human cognition, emphasising the universal aspects of our biological design. By recognising our shared neural foundations, we can better tailor environments in the family home, primary and secondary schools, sports, and workplaces to optimise brain function.

​Psychometric profiling, shaped by Jung's pioneering work and subsequent developments in the early 20th century, has been instrumental in characterising and understanding individual differences in personality, temperament, and preferences. However, in light of contemporary advances in neuroscience, it is pertinent to reevaluate the predominant focus on human dissimilarities and explore the universal aspects of our biological design.

​Jung's theories on personality types, such as the widely known Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), laid the groundwork for numerous psychometric profiling tools. These methodologies categorise individuals based on traits, preferences, and temperament, offering insights into how people perceive and interact with the world. However, the emphasis on differences may limit our understanding of the shared neurobiological foundations that unite humanity.

​Recent advancements in neuroscience provide compelling evidence for the universality of certain cognitive processes and neural mechanisms. Studies on the human brain's structure and function reveal commonalities that transcend individual differences. Neuroscientific research suggests that recognising and harnessing these shared traits can inform the creation of environments conducive to optimal brain function.

​Understanding the universality of our biological design has profound implications for creating optimal environments in various contexts. In the family home, recognizing common neural needs can guide parenting strategies. In primary and secondary schools, tailored educational approaches can be developed to accommodate diverse learning styles while emphasising universal cognitive processes. Similarly, optimising sports and workplace environments becomes more effective when grounded in neuroscientific principles.

This article calls for a reevaluation of those psychometric profiling methods deeply rooted in Jungian traditions, which highlight differences, and urges a shift towards a more neuroscientifically informed understanding of human cognition. By acknowledging the universality of our biological design, we can pave the way for more effective and inclusive approaches to creating environments that foster optimal brain function across diverse settings. This paradigm shift has the potential to revolutionize how we perceive and interact with one another, fostering a more harmonious and equitable society.

Title: 

In an ever-changing world, it's essential for leaders to adapt to the evolving landscape to ensure their organizations thrive. The challenges of today's complex environment have led to the creation of various acronyms to capture the essence of our rapidly transforming world. VUCA, BANI, RUPT, and TUNA are such terms, and they highlight the profound impact that today's dynamic world has on leadership and organizations.

**VUCA: The Precursor of Change**

VUCA stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. Coined by the U.S. Army War College in the 1990s, this term was initially used to describe the post-Cold War world. It highlights the unpredictable nature of our environment and the constant shifts in our social, political, and economic landscapes.

**BANI: Adaptation in a Shifting World**

BANI, on the other hand, builds upon the foundation of VUCA. BANI stands for Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, and Incomprehensible. Developed by Igor and Renee Belegante, it emphasizes the fragility of our current systems, the prevalence of anxiety, the non-linear progression of events, and the incomprehensible nature of certain situations.

**RUPT: Embracing Disruption**

RUPT stands for Rapid, Unpredictable, Paradoxical, and Tangled. It was developed by leadership expert Bob Johansen as a response to the ever-accelerating pace of change. RUPT underlines the necessity for leaders to embrace disruption and think outside the box.

**TUNA: The Latest Addition**

The most recent addition to this evolving lexicon is TUNA, which stands for Turbulence, Uncertainty, Novelty, and Ambiguity. It underscores the turbulence and unpredictability we face, the novelty of constantly emerging technologies, and the enduring ambiguity that characterizes our world.

The emergence of these acronyms over the years highlights the increasingly intricate and unpredictable nature of our world. As the global environment becomes more intricate and interconnected, leaders are navigating a landscape that challenges traditional leadership models and tests their ability to adapt and innovate.

Leadership in a VUCA, BANI, RUPT, and TUNA world is no easy feat. The stress and disengagement experienced by leaders in organizations worldwide are a direct result of this ever-evolving landscape. The pressure to constantly adapt and make informed decisions in the face of unprecedented challenges is, without a doubt, a significant contributor to the growing stress levels among leaders.

To thrive in this dynamic environment, leaders must be flexible, open to change, and willing to embrace new ideas. They need to foster a culture of learning, experimentation, and adaptation within their organizations. Additionally, they must provide support systems for their teams to help them navigate the uncertainty and stress that come with VUCA, BANI, RUPT, and TUNA scenarios.

In conclusion, the evolution of these acronyms, from VUCA to BANI, RUPT, and TUNA, reflects the undeniable link between the ever-evolving world we are navigating and the significant disengagement and stress issues leaders face in organizations worldwide. Embracing these challenges and using them as opportunities for growth and innovation will be the hallmark of successful leaders in the years to come. By recognizing the intricacies of our world and adapting their leadership styles accordingly, they can lead their organizations to success in a VUCA, BANI, RUPT, and TUNA world.

 Being Human. BTFA (Believe-Think-Feel-Act).

1. For 1000's of years, philosophers and scientists have been looking to understand the human condition ... and until very recently, have produced few clear or satisfactory answers.

Since time immemorial, people have been intrigued with the idea that we are more than our biology.
​Such speculation has confirmed, if nothing else, that we are a very complex being.

It's also widely accepted, that this complexity can make interaction and collaboration between two or more people, a challenge ... and that challenge has a direct impact on the performance of organisations, institutions and, at scale ... entire nations.

In exploring our complex self, many have offered ideas to try and explain their observations. Plato spoke of ​...

​Leaders around the world want to build cultures where profits and people thrive. BTFA provides the language leaders need, to understand brain-change and how that impacts organisational change, leadership and performance, at a cultural level. 

BTFA is set to transform the world of change!
By plugging a gap most are yet to realise is there!

Over the last 50 years or so, the brains in leaders skulls, all over the planet, have been conditioned to follow popular performance improvement methods, like Lean, Agile and Six Sigma.

That's just how it works. Brains are imprinted by what they are exposed to, when surviving the environment. What the community comes to 'approve of', or what is promoted, by those with authority and power, becomes 'the norm'... accepted.

In the world of organisational change the normalised method, typically follows the following pattern ...

1. Tools - with TPS, IE, Stats or PM origins (+3-5yrs)
2. Systems - typically IT (+3-5yrs)
3. Strategy - with different models sporting different and diverse cultural origins than sit behind the tools used in steps 1&2 (+3-5yrs)
4. Culture (+3-5yrs)
5. + at various points / M&A / Aggressive Project Management from consultants, appointed over business unit teams, often by investors or C suite teams under pressure to perform and ensure 5 year ROI with an increased multiple. (+3-5yrs). .. The 'Corporate Playbook'.
   Total 15 - 25 years
   Results - infinitely variable, depending on the leader's beliefs, the market/sector the company plays in, and the cycles of change in government dogma and global economic challenges. 

Generation after generation, discovering the 'tools' for the first time (step 1), become convinced they're the first to find 'the answer', and post enthusiastically on social media, about 5S and Flow. Those at step 2 and 3 feel superior, convinced they're advanced in their thinking and making progress in their knowledge and career, while those at the other end of the cycle, look back at steps 2&3 as 'interesting memories', while running out of road (& often enthusiasm for change), once they get to 'Culture eats strategy for breakfast' (step 4).

At this point in the persons career, they find few can offer an informed definition of culture ... enthusiasm wanes as they realise 'support' looks like more logical, project managed tools and surveys... which didn't change culture (as promised) at Step 1. and they've been through all this before ... it's only the names that change, not the approach. i.e. Same Sh*t different day! 

Everyone, at every step, thinks their approach is the solution to the other 3 steps, and as long as they keep paying the bills, remain firmly stuck in their particular version of 'the rut'.

Once presented like this, it seems obvious to everyone we talk to, that the "step 1 -to- step 4 cycle", is entirely backward, compared to the pattern of events that led to the creation of the tools we're expected to project-manage into organisations. 

i.e. Starting beyond the far end of our road in the picture above ... Let's consider the tools in the market, inspired by 'Toyota', and work backwards, to see how they came about ... 

BEYOND CULTURE: In Japan, home of Toyota Motor Corporation, Shinto is a philosophy, comprising influence from Buddhism, Taoism & Confucianism. The language comprises Kanji characters.

It is this belief system and understanding through a language formed of Ideograms / Pictograms, that contributed significantly to the culture. Being all pervasive as culture is, it's this belief system, leading to high levels of 'respect' in society, underpinned by the language, which conditioned the brains of Sakichi and Kiichiro Toyoda, Taiichi Ohno and Yoji Akao ...

This is important if we consider the mindset of the Automatic Loom Company founder, his son and co founder of Toyota, their 'main man' in Ohno San, and the originator of Hoshin Kanri (Yoji Akao), of any importance in respect to the foundations of Toyota's philosophy, related developments and on-going success in a VUCA world... for some 90 years! 

It's also important if we consider the psychological and neurological influence of culture over the adult human brain forming beliefs & assumptions about 'goodness' and the subsequent thinking, feelings, decisions, system design and actions, that follow, in the climate and culture such beliefs encourage leaders to create.

THIS SIDE OF CULTURE: Ohno San went on to execute strategy, using the philosophically aligned Hoshin Kanri model, created by Yoji Akao (who also created QFD), to lead Toyota, in ways that empowered people, like Shigeo Shingo, to develop tools and methods that enabled some of the most efficient & sustainable ways of managing a factory that have been achieved on the planet to date .. even through global recessions, pandemics and wars.

Importantly, this has not only been possible in Japan, but has been replicated in other Toyota factories around the world, embedded in different country level cultures. e.g. NUMMI.

So, do you start with Tools, where the Toyota team ended up? Do you start with systems and strategy, often with design influence from a different belief system and cultural back-drop, do you start with climate and culture .. or do you train your leaders to understand all of this, by understanding the way brains are imprinted and conditioned, when surviving their environment?

Of course, that's a loaded question. Most organisations already have activities underway to address tools, production, productivity, tactics, strategy deployment, climate and culture .. in fact, in our forward thinking CSR world, we actively promote multiculturalism, requiring we need something all thinking, inspired by multiple belief systems can align to and define as 'Good'  ... 

Such fundamental alignment is the only area of development, as yet untouched. Mainly because the need to address it hides in plain sight. it's the elephant in the room! 

Where leaders can't replicate Shinto or Kanji, to recognise the importance of "Respect for humanity" as underpins every thought, word and deed within Toyota, (arguably a big part of the philosophy that underpins their success), we, in the West, can now use 'Brain Science' as our common language, presenting, as it does, FACTS about people and performance, that we can all believe in. 

Next cohort - starts Jan 13th 2023
Leaders learn to use a new lens to understand the emotions behind performance, so they know what's required to create the conditions in which everyone's brain can learn, do its best work and seek to improve, continuously.

Colin Lloyd - Head of Business Excellence - Element 6 (a De Beers company)

​"Mind Blowing!"

"It would not be an exaggeration to say the 5-week BTFA on-line course has fired my thought patterns ablaze! Both the richness of the content, the presentation style, the depth of knowledge, and the weekly conversations with peers and the course designers, in the community space and office hours was ‘mind-blowing’ (and it’s a course rich in neuroscience!)."

Michael Jacobs - Senior Consultant - Capgemini Invent"

The course is definitely something that just keeps giving. There hasn't been a day that's gone by since, where I haven't been able to pull something from this course and apply it to helping clients. Couldn't recommend it enough."

Have questions? Contact us  [email protected]