Developing Talent with the i4 Neuroleader™ Methodology

Better brains create better leaders and workplaces.

The i4 Neuroleader™ Methodology offers a systematic approach to developing talent. A recent McKinsey article titled “The Mindsets and Practices of Excellent CEOs” starts by saying the following:

A company has only one peerless role: chief executive officer. It’s the most powerful and sought-after title in business, more exciting, rewarding, and influential than any other. What the CEO controls, accounts for 45 percent of a company’s performance.¹

The focus of this article is on how to improve the performance of a CEO. What the article does not say, though, is how critical the CEO (*or the brain of the CEO) is in determining a high performing culture, which would logically account for the remaining 55% of the company’s performance.

Having a good leader at the top is essential but it is not enough. Leaders also need good followers. The brain of all these followers have to function well too, in order to have a good culture.

Companies usually forget that the more they invest in developing and training their people (at all levels, not just at the senior level), the easier the job becomes for the CEO and for the leadership team.

It is not just up to the CEO to ‘shape the culture’. Shaping culture depends on everyone, on every brain.

After all, we all make decisions on a day to day basis, we influence others and we need to perform and role model appropriate behaviours. Doing this not only requires the right mindset but a good functioning brain.

What people expect from their leaders today is different to what they expected in the past. Leadership models, frameworks and principles have always been useful in helping us understand where to focus our efforts when it comes to leading ourselves and others.

In the 90’s, the concept of emotional intelligence started to shed some light into the type of leaders that people prefer to work for. It took 2 decades for this concept to be acknowledged and to take off. Today, however, emotional intelligence has been surpassed by neuroscience.

Imaging technology is showing us what happens inside the brain and as a result of these new findings, we are better positioned to understand the functioning of the brain and how we can use this knowledge in our daily lives, including how we lead.

When it comes to being an effective leader, understanding our biology is vital. It is only logical to now include the brain as part of a leadership model.

The creation of the i4 Neuroleader™ Model provides a framework that includes not only the recent advances of brain science but also addresses the importance of sustaining our bodies and wellbeing so we can be more resilient and have a better response to the demands of today’s workplaces.

The model is based on neurobiology and as a personal leadership model, it can apply to every human being.

Developing the competencies and abilities of the model has given birth to the i4 Neuroleader™ Methodology, which is basically the know-how. Once people become acquainted with this methodology, they are more informed when it comes to creating a brain-friendly culture.

4 principles support the i4 Neuroleader™ Methodology. These are:

1. Expansion
   Knowing how we function as a biological system.
2. Awareness
   Acquiring a more objective and holistic view of ourselves.
3. Evolution
   Creating a renewed way of feeling, thinking and acting and finally.
4. Neuro-leading
   Leading from an optimal state of being.

These principles inform a staged transformation process designed to develop the competencies of the i4 Neuroleader™ Model.

Download our Manifesto here.

Once developed, these competencies will enable individuals to achieve an improved sense of well-being, augmented creativity, true engagement and higher levels of effectiveness.

Citations:

1. The Mindsets and Practices of Excellent CEOs. Academia. Available online.