I am grateful that my article, Breaking the Cycle: How to Overcome Leadership Stagnation by Engaging All Three Brains, was picked up and published by the CEO weekly.
If you like to read it on their website, the link is underneath the article.
Leadership in today’s world is more challenging than ever. The constant pressure to innovate, adapt, and inspire teams has left many leaders feeling stuck. Stagnation is not just a personal challenge—it’s a leadership crisis.
Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 underscores this reality, with only 23% of employees engaged at work and 41% reporting high stress levels. For leaders, the cost of disengagement is straightforward: $8.9 trillion in lost global productivity annually. But how can leaders break free from this cycle of inertia?
The answer lies in engaging the Three Brains Intelligence model: the head, heart, and gut.
This approach moves beyond logic-based leadership, integrating emotional and instinctual intelligence to navigate complexity, inspire teams, and create a thriving workplace. By understanding and balancing these three brains, leaders can move from stagnation to transformation.
The Trap of Stagnation
Leadership stagnation often results from an overreliance on a single form of intelligence. Many leaders lean heavily on their head brain—the centre of logic and strategy—while neglecting decision-making's emotional and intuitive dimensions. This imbalance not only limits their effectiveness but also impacts team engagement and innovation.
The real-life situation of Amanda, the CEO of a growing tech startup
Take Amanda, the CEO of a growing tech startup. Known for her analytical brilliance, Amanda had built her reputation on data-driven decisions. But as her company expanded, she noticed a troubling trend: her team’s enthusiasm waned, creativity dwindled, and meetings felt repetitive. Amanda’s overreliance on logic had led to analysis paralysis—endless deliberation that stifled action and innovation. She realised she needed a new approach to reignite her leadership and her team.
Engaging the Head Brain: Logic as a Guide, Not a Crutch
The head brain analyses data, crafts strategies, and solves complex problems. Amanda’s head brain had driven her initial success, but it also trapped her in a cycle of overthinking. She spent hours dissecting data, delaying decisions, and inadvertently stifling her team’s creativity.
Amanda began using her head brain as a guide rather than a crutch to move forward. She set clear deadlines for decisions, knowing that waiting for perfect information would only stall progress. She also incorporated feedback from her team, allowing diverse perspectives to shape her strategies. By balancing logic with input from the heart and gut brains, Amanda created plans that were not only rational but also inclusive and adaptable.
Tapping into the Heart Brain: Leading with Empathy
Amanda’s journey didn’t stop with logic. She realised that her leadership needed the warmth and connection of the heart brain—the center of empathy, emotional intelligence, and social connection. Gallup’s report highlighted a critical need for leaders to foster engagement and trust, particularly as 20% of employees experience daily loneliness, with remote workers feeling the brunt of isolation.
Amanda began incorporating emotional intelligence into her leadership style. In one-on-one meetings, she practised active listening, focusing on understanding her team’s concerns without immediately offering solutions. During a conversation with Chris, her VP of marketing, Amanda resisted the urge to problem-solve and instead asked open-ended questions. Chris shared his struggles with workload and personal challenges, and Amanda’s genuine empathy helped strengthen their relationship.
Beyond individual conversations, Amanda introduced “emotional check-ins” at team meetings, allowing her team to express their thoughts and feelings. These moments of connection built trust boosted morale and reminded her team that they were valued not just as employees but as people.
Trusting the Gut Brain: Courage in Uncertainty
While Amanda’s head and heart brains transformed her leadership, she knew she also needed to engage her gut brain—the seat of instinct and taking action to win. In a world where 15% of employees are actively disengaged, leaders must make bold decisions to energise their teams and navigate uncertainty.
Amanda’s upbringing had conditioned her to suppress her instincts. As the eldest sibling, she often prioritised others’ needs over her own, pushing her gut brain into the background. However, through the 3 Brains framework, Amanda learned to reconnect with her instincts and trust her inner voice.
One pivotal moment came when Amanda faced a decision about pivoting her company’s business model during a market downturn. Logic alone couldn’t provide all the answers, and data was incomplete. Amanda’s gut told her to move boldly: restructure her team’s workflow and pursue a new market segment. Though the decision carried risks, Amanda trusted her instincts and acted decisively. The result? Her team embraced the challenge, and the company emerged stronger and more innovative.
Breaking the Cycle: A New Model for Leadership
Amanda’s transformation is a testament to the power of engaging all three brains. By integrating the head, heart, and gut, she broke free from the stagnation that had limited her leadership. Her logical plans became more dynamic, her empathetic leadership fostered trust, and her instinctual decisions brought boldness and innovation to her team.
But Amanda’s story isn’t just a personal victory—it’s a model for leaders everywhere. Gallup’s findings make it clear: leadership must evolve to meet the growing needs of employees for clarity, connection, and purpose. Engaging all three brains offers a path forward.
Lessons for Leaders: A Practical Framework
Breaking the cycle of stagnation requires deliberate action. Here’s how leaders can engage all three brains:
Head-brain: Use data and strategy to guide decisions, but avoid overthinking. Set clear priorities and timelines to balance long-term planning with immediate action.
Heart Brain: Build trust and connection by practising stepping into someone's shoes, understanding their values, interests, and passions, and how they would perceive the situation. Furthermore, practice active listening and foster team collaboration. Recognise and celebrate achievements to boost morale and engagement.
Gut Brain: Trust your instincts in moments of uncertainty, but remain mindful of whether those instincts are driven by fear. When fear takes over, the gut brain seeks to escape painful situations, often mistaking "less painful" for “good.”If your gut instinct tells you to follow the path to win and achieve, follow it. To harness the true power of your gut brain, lead from trust and encourages experimentation. Empower your team to take the initiative and calculated risks, cultivating an environment where innovation thrives, and everyone feels confident in their contributions.
The Call to Action: Lead with All Three Brains
Leadership in the 21st century demands more than expertise or charisma. It requires a holistic approach that balances logic, empathy, and instinct. The State of the Global Workplace 2024 reminds us of the stakes: disengaged employees and stressed teams need leaders who can connect, inspire, and adapt.
Leaders can break free from stagnation, unlock their potential, and create thriving organisations by engaging all three brains. Amanda’s journey shows what’s possible when leaders embrace this model—not just for themselves but for their teams and the future of their businesses.
The question is, are you ready to lead with all three brains? Your team, your company, and your success depend on it.
When you like to read the CEO Weekly version of Breaking the Cycle: How to Overcome Leadership Stagnation by Engaging All Three Brains, it is a bit shorter, and please check it here - https://ceoweekly.com/breaking-the-cycle-how-christoffel-sneijders-helps-leaders-overcome-stagnation-by-engaging-all-three-brains/
I love to hear or read your comments.
Have a beautiful day and enjoy your life and work.
Cheers Christoffel
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