New Priorities in the Pandemic Paradigm of Leadership

The pandemic across the globe continues, and there is little certainty of what the future holds. As a leader in your bank, you know that life is very different, and that your role as a manager or leader in your bank has changed in ways that were unimaginable a year ago.

For some of you, not much has changed, but you watch the world around you in chaos and flux. For others, your life has dramatically changed, and you are leading from your kitchen table staring into little boxes on a screen that seems to freeze every five minutes. Others of you have new hires you’ve yet to meet person-to-person. Still others are conducting those oh-so-crucial interviews for key positions at the bank via video or from behind masks at safe social distances.

No, leadership is not the same. Yes, you are leading in a pandemic paradigm of leadership, and it is requiring a re-prioritization of what is important to leverage optimal performance from those you lead. There are three key indicators occurring that should be a signal to you that the old paradigm of leadership is no longer your priority:

1. People are stressed from external factors they have no control over such as COVID-19, civil unrest and economic upheaval.
2. People are disrupted at a fundamental core level in their values, beliefs and what was once certainty.
3. People’s day-to-day work routines have dramatically changed from working at home to home schooling their children, to caring for their elderly parents, to social isolation and social distancing.

Neuroscience is a field of research that has exploded in the last decade as a fascinating probe into how the brain works in real time. The neuroscience field asks, “What exactly is the brain”? Well, the brain is actually three brains in our body. YES, did you know you have three brains? It turns out that the neurological wiring in your gut and your heart is like the neurological wiring in the brain in your head. Therefore the gut, heart and head are all “brains.” They all have neural networks that display intelligence and wisdom.

We all know that the head brain’s competencies include thinking, cognitive processing and meaning-making. But did you realize that the prime functions of the heart brain are emoting, responding to relationships in your life and expression of your values? And the gut brain is where the wiring for self-preservation, mobilization and your core identity are

We’ve all either said it ourselves or heard others say, “Trust your gut,” “Follow your heart,” “Use your head.” This is literally sage wisdom. So how can you as a manager and leader in your bank start to leverage the wisdom of all three of your brains to begin leading in this pandemic paradigm of leadership?

Most likely you already actively engage all three brains, but if you can become “aware” of which brain to employ in which situation, you will quickly find that your ability to accurately discern and respond to a variety of situations improves. For example, when hiring a new team member, using your gut and your heart brain before your head brain can yield much more accurate results in the assessment of “fit” for your bank’s culture.

If the candidate has an impeccable resume with all the skills and experience you desire, but “something in my gut says there’s something not quite right with this picture,” trust it! Or, if emotionally you feel discomfort or dis-ease with this individual, neuroscience would say “follow your heart,” which is sending you a powerful signal about what is really the truth with this individual as a potential new employee.

Another example is the difficulty the head brain has with virtual human interaction (e.g. Zoom meetings). There is not enough linear data for the brain to discern what logically is occurring, but the gut and the heart brain are brilliant at perceiving subtle indicators of stress, fear, anxiety, disagreement and misunderstandings – even if the face on the screen appears fine.

In the changing paradigm of leadership during this pandemic, when the tools you’ve always relied on to lead (your logical, linear head brain) no longer seem to work as well – given the disruption, high emotion, constant change, uncertainty and chaos – your gut and your heart brain will yield better insights into what ideas, solutions and actions will keep you and your team/department aligned with the performance you desire. Try “going” to your gut, then your heart and lastly your head when you are dealing with situations related to your team members, customers and other bank employees. Know that you are wired to integrate all three brains for optimal leadership.

For more insights, neuroscience findings and fantastic ways to start working with all three of your brains, check out this great book: mBraining: Using your multiple brains to do cool stuff by Grant Soosalu and Marvin Oka.
 

This Month's Guest Writer

Juli Lynch, Ph.D.
President
Turning Pointe Coaching and Consulting
IBA Leadership Development Program Instructor

Juli Lynch, Ph.D., is the president of Turning Pointe Coaching and Consulting, an executive coaching and leadership training company. She has 30 years of experience working in the financial services industry, coaching and consulting with a passion for assisting managers and leaders in developing productive and engaging teams and cultures. She is on the faculty of the IBA Leadership Development Program and an instructor for IBA Emerging Leaders-A Digital Program. Juli can be reached at: julilynch@gmail.com.