RESEARCH

and

BRAIN SCIENCE
Leadership Competencies
8 – 9% 8 – 9%

IQ Technical
Skills

Emotional
Intelligence
Good news…
Over 80% EI can be learned.
BRAIN SCIENCE
1. Automatic/First Brain
(Primitive or Reptilian)
• Automatic functions,
without thought, while
sleeping. Grew from
bottom up

2. Limbic Brain (Old

Mammalian)
• Emotional brain, enables
learning, stores emotions,
records danger & fear

3. Cortex and Neocortex

(Rational Brain –New
Mammalian)
• Cognitive responses, info
stored & analyzed.
Interpret data. Guides the
limbic brain/emotions.
 The Human Brain
Neocortex
The part of the brain
most recent in evolution ,
associated with complex
thought

Prefrontal Lobes
The brain’s executive
center: integrates
information from all parts
of the brain and makes
decisions to act.

Thalamus
Processes sensory
messages (e.g., eyes and
ears) then routes them Amygdala Brain Stem
mainly to the neocortex. Triggers emotional responses. Typically The most primitive part of
gets signals from the neocortex, but a the brain. Is associated
quicker and fuzzier signal comes directly predominantly with
from the thalamus. Can hijack the brain automatic reflexes, as well as
when it perceives an emergency. memory and learning.
5
 Amygdala
•Site of emotional memory

•Site of emotional learning

•Answers one critical question of human

survival…

•…do I eat it, or does it eat me?

 Amygdala Hijack
 An emotional response that is immediate and
overwhelming and out of measure with the actual
stimulus, generally triggers significant emotionality

 The emotional system acts independently and bypasses

the unaware neocortex, which does not get the message
in time to evaluate it

 Sudden reaction to what has occurred, it is unexpected,

forceful, you feel out of control, and it takes you
someplace you were not planning to go
Amygdala Hijack

Prefrontal
Cortex
An Amygdala Hijack Results In…
Decrease in working
memory & for our
protection sends us to
our default behavior

It lasts for 18 minutes!

Toxicity
Chemicals released
into bloodstream

It takes 3 - 4 hours for the

Body Responds
blood to clear!
Increase heart rate
Increase breathing
Increase reflexes
 Self Regulation Strategy
 Pause, breathe to interrupt the process

 Observe your feelings and emotions

 Ask yourself:
 What am I interpreting/making up
 What are my intentions

 Engage your neocortex

 Ask questions and then take action
 The Six-Second Rule
It takes six seconds
for stimulus to move
from the thalamus to
the neo-cortex to
counteract the fight or
flight response

When you have been

triggered, take a deep
breath and count six
seconds before you
respond.