When I first met Maya, the CEO of a rapidly growing technology firm, she looked tired in a way that went far beyond lack of sleep. “I feel like I’m carrying the whole company on my back,” she admitted. Her team had the IQ, talent, and drive, but something wasn’t working. Decisions took too long. Creativity was low. Meetings felt tense. “Everyone’s overwhelmed,” she said. “Including me.”
Neuroleadership provided the path forward. By understanding the three brains — head (thinking), heart (feeling), and gut (intuition) — and how the vagus nerve links them, Maya learned to shift her organization from survival mode into connection and innovation.
Below is the full neuroleadership model, enriched with three exercises — one for each brain — that Maya used to transform her leadership.
The Three Brains of Leadership
The “three brains” framework is a practical model informed by neuroscience:
1. The Head Brain (Cephalic Brain)
Responsible for logic, planning, and strategic thinking.
2. The Heart Brain (Cardiac Neural Network)
Supports emotional attunement, empathy, and social connection.
3. The Gut Brain (Enteric Nervous System)
Regulates instinct, intuition, and survival responses.
These networks communicate through the vagus nerve, which determines whether we are in survival, connection, or creative mode. To lead well, we must help ourselves and our teams move upward through these states.
Neuroleadership in Action: Three Core Exercises
Below are three integrated exercises to engage each brain system with a real-world example of them in use.
1. Head Brain Exercise: The Intuitive Decision Map
A structured thinking tool that integrates logic with clarity.
Purpose
To move out of reactive decision-making and engage the prefrontal cortex for clear, balanced judgment.
How to Do It
Draw a page with three sections:
Section 1: Data (Head)
- What facts do I know?
- What is missing?
- What assumptions am I making?
Section 2: People and Values (Heart)
- Who is impacted?
- What emotions or relationships matter here?
- What aligns with our values?
Section 3: Alignment (Gut)
- What direction feels grounded or expansive?
- Does any option feel tight or pressured?
- What does my intuition signal?
After reviewing each section, circle the choice that feels most like a “whole-system yes.”
Why It Works
This activates the head brain’s clarity, reduces cognitive bias, and integrates information across emotional and intuitive networks.
How Maya Used It
During a major restructuring, Maya used this map to choose leaders based not only on performance metrics but also on cultural fit and intuitive alignment. “It made the decision cleaner and less stressful,” she said.
2. Heart Brain Exercise: Connection Before Content
A simple ritual that primes teams for trust and collaboration.
Purpose
To activate the heart-brain’s emotional resonance and create psychological safety.
How to Do It
Before beginning a meeting, spend 60–90 seconds inviting teammates to share. Options:
- One word about how you’re arriving
- A win and a worry
- One appreciation
Keep it brief and consistent.
Why It Works
This boosts oxytocin, the bonding neurochemical, which lowers defensiveness and increases cooperation. Teams think more flexibly and communicate more openly.
How Maya Used It
Her weekly leadership meeting began with a “win and a worry” round. She noticed people began bringing up issues sooner, asking for help earlier, and celebrating one another genuinely. “It changed the tone of our entire culture,” she said.
3. Gut Brain Exercise: The Three-Breath Vagal Reset
A fast way to shift from survival mode into calm intuition.
Purpose
To activate the ventral vagus nerve and prime the gut-brain system for intuitive clarity.
How to Do It
Sit comfortably and breathe:
- Inhale gently for 4 seconds
- Exhale slowly for 8 seconds
- Repeat 3 times
Why It Works
Long exhales stimulate the ventral vagus, lowering cortisol and shifting the body out of fight-or-flight. This opens access to intuition, creativity, and social engagement.
How Maya Used It
Before high-stakes presentations, Maya would say, “Let’s take three breaths together.” She noticed the team became calmer and more collaborative.
Summary
Neuroleadership blends brain science with human connection. When leaders engage the head, heart, and gut brains, they access clarity, empathy, and intuition — the three pillars of effective, future-ready leadership.
By integrating these three exercises into her leadership practice, Maya transformed her overwhelmed team into a calm, creative, and connected group prepared to navigate rapid change.
Key Leadership Takeaways
- The head, heart, and gut are interconnected neural networks that shape decision-making, emotional intelligence, and intuition.
- Leaders can influence these systems through simple tools like structured reflection, quick connection rituals, and vagus-nerve breathing.
- When teams shift from survival mode to connection mode, creativity and collaboration naturally rise.
- Neuroleadership strengthens innovation and resilience by aligning leadership with human biology.
- Small daily habits create long-term cultural transformation.
An award-winning, medical doctor, researcher, and expert on the neuroscience behind innovation, leadership, and motivation, Dr. Shimi Kang provides science-based solutions for health, happiness, and achievement at home, work, and in the classroom. She draws on 25 years of clinical experience, and extensive research into the science behind optimizing human intelligence, to show audiences how to cultivate key 21st century skills, including resilience, connection, adaptability, creativity, and more.
Shimi’s topic, “Neuroleadership: The Three-Brain Framework for Future-Ready Leadership” dives deeper into the strategies and exercises discussed in this article. Contact us to learn more about Shimi and how she can help your audience learn to build trust, foster innovation, and guide their teams through uncertainty with compassion and confidence.
