Yesterday, I was talking with a client about the power of our brain and how critical it is to be aware of where you put your attention when leading change. Our discussion reminded me of a related article on the neuroscience of why this is so. In “Organisational Change and the Neuroscience of Leadership, George Ambler does a nice job explaining how “focus is power”, and the act of paying attention creates both chemical and physical changes in the brain. He also points out that “expectation shapes reality.” What we focus on and what we expect play an important role in how we respond to a given situation.
That’s why it’s important to be very clear, about what you are focusing on and also your expectations – especially during times of change. When you focus on everything that’s not working and expect change to be hard, you are setting that expectation, and there is a good chance that your change efforts will fail. That’s not to say there isn’t a lot of work to do for change – however, putting your attention on opportunities and possibilities will put you on track to succeed versus fail.
How are you thinking about change? Are you focusing on moving forward, or looking back? Remember that where put your focus is where your brain/body will organize itself. Are you organizing around anxiety or possibility?
For more on using neuroscience to shift your focus, see my previous post on “Retraining Your Brain to Change.”
