Activating Neuro Agility to unlock leadership performance
Neuro-agility is an L&D technique that boosts the head – helping leaders develop more agile brainpower so that they are more brain-fit, learn faster and work more effectively whilst improving their overall wellbeing.
Neuro-agility – simpler, better and faster head intelligence
Neuro agility is a phrase coined by one of the world’s leading specialists in the neuroscience of learning, Dr Andre Vermeulen. It’s about the readiness of all the senses and brain regions to function as one integrated whole brain system, being receptive and responsive to receive and transmit bio-chemical impulses at optimum capacity under new and potentially stressful conditions.
“With engagement and motivation levels at an all-time low, leaders must energise not just themselves but their teams too.”
Leaders who are highly neuro-agile have the flexibility to learn new skills, attitudes, and behaviours easily and unlearn old behaviour patterns quickly, which enhances their ability to adapt to changing environments and make decisions more effectively, thereby improving their overall leadership performance.
Dr Vermeulen has created a neuro-agility brain profiling tool that provides leaders with powerful insights into boosting their brainpower.
There are two key elements that underpin how neuro-agile leaders are. These are firstly understanding the seven factors of their own unique neurological design (their hardware – and how to make the most of it). And secondly, optimising six drivers (the software) that boost their brain performance and significantly influence the ease, speed and flexibility with which they work.
Understanding your neurological design
To improve brain fitness leaders need to understand seven aspects of their own unique neurological design, and those of their team. These include:
• Lateral dominance – understanding your preferred hemisphere – left or right – to identify whether you learn best through words or visuals, so you can find the best way of accessing new information.
• Expressive or receptive preference – how you use the back and front areas of your brain influences whether you typically learn best by reflection (receptive preference) or by sharing responses verbally (expressive preference). Knowing your preference will enable leaders to find the right learning environment.
• Rational or emotional preference – leaders with a rational preference will enjoy academic and theoretical approaches to work, while people with an emotional preference will benefit from a more experiential ‘doing’ approach.
• Information processing style – we use our five senses to take in information, and the way we do that is influenced by our lateral dominance. Knowing this creates awareness amongst leaders of any neurological hindrances they may experience, especially when under stress, and how to mitigate them.
The six drivers of brain performance and agility
Once leaders understand how their brains are wired they can then focus on dialling up the six drivers of brain performance and agility.
These six drivers are brain fitness (the ability to access left and right brain hemispheres simultaneously), stress coping skills, having quality sleep, movement and exercise, brain-friendly diet and nutrition (plenty of water and food rich in Omega 3), and embracing a positive attitude.
Stimulating the brain with mental activities, games, puzzles, music and humour; doing cross lateral exercise (such as dancing, martial arts, yoga); stretching at work; going for regular walks; and having meetings standing up, all make a huge difference to a leader’s brain fitness.
Neuro-agility offers a transformative approach to leadership development, enhancing cognitive abilities and overall well-being. Dr. Andre Vermeulen’s research underscores the importance of a unified brain system, vital for today’s leaders facing low engagement and motivation levels. Highly neuro-agile leaders possess the flexibility to adapt and learn rapidly, supported by a deep understanding of their neurological design and key performance drivers. By embracing neuro-agility, leaders can create environments conducive to growth and productivity. Through targeted interventions and brain-friendly habits, they can propel themselves and their teams towards sustained success in today’s dynamic landscape.
Watch our on demand webinar to learn more about improving your brain fitness and learning agility, here.
Alternatively learn more about how we you can become accredited in Neuro-Agility
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