Why Purpose Matters More Now Than Ever

In a book I published with Oak Tree Press a number of years ago: Our Learning Brain, I reminded us that adults learn and change only when there is meaningful engagement and psychological safety. This is valid now just as it was then. When uncertainty rises or pressure increases the brain’s threat system activates. The amygdala begins scanning for danger, narrowing attention and pushing the nervous system toward self-protection rather than growth.

Its important to consider that research now confirms that the amygdala is not only a detector of threat but also responds to emotional significance and reward. As the brain’s centre for emotional relevance, it reacts strongly when work feels meaningful, purposeful, or connected to something that matters. When we experience clarity, fairness, and meaning, the amygdala quiets its defensive response and shifts toward openness, curiosity, and engagement.

 

Purpose gives the brain a direction.

When we reconnect to purpose, it influences:

• Dopamine (motivation and anticipation)
• Acetylcholine (attention and memory consolidation)
• Glutamate (learning pathways)

Purpose, neurologically speaking, acts as a signal that says: “Pay attention. This matters.” This is why in high-change environments, teams without purpose drift. They drift not because they don’t care, but because their brain literally cannot prioritise. So many conversations I have with leaders and teams about challenges they have transpiring with direct reports or other stakeholders come back to clarity of purpose, and prioritisation based on that. Again, it’s challenging for all of us, as many of us don’t feel like we have the time to spend a few extra moments with our colleagues creating clarity and connecting to purpose.

The amygdala’s activity is fundamentally linked to our ability to engage with and benefit from a sense of purpose at many critical levels, including personal, job role, team and organisational.

 

The VUCA Effect: Why Purpose Identification Alone Isn’t Enough

In our work at Adaptas, with a range of organisations and sectors, we see a recurring pattern: leaders and teams can tell us what the purpose of the organisation is, and they can generally tell us what the purpose of their team is. Although we often hear 2-3 different versions of the purpose from within any one team, depending on each individual person’s role and their objectives in that role.

This is often because:

1. The purpose is too abstract

2. It isn’t connected to daily behaviour

3. It isn’t integrated into decision-making

4. It isn’t emotionally meaningful

Bringing your team together to have non-transactional conversations helps uncover the differences in opinion and understanding. Finding alignment on purpose then:

1. makes the purpose more tangible

2. connects it to daily behaviour

3. impacts communication, decision-making, and well-being positively

In another book I published with Oak Tree Press: Developing Learning Habits, I highlighted that adults require emotional salience, the importance or prominence of an emotional experience, to embed new and more effective habits. What exactly is emotional salience? Well for example, it might be an event that makes something stand out due to its emotional importance for the person. Emotional salience plays a crucial role in the encoding process of memory, making memories linked to strong emotions more vivid and easier to recall.  If something is emotionally salient it captures attention, becomes more memorable, and then impacts decision-making and the actions we take.

For example, in my experience, when a manager listens to and acknowledges an employee’s feedback about a project rather than half listening, ignoring the feedback or becoming defensive, this can create more emotional salience for the employee. Similarly when teams and organisations discuss the purpose of the organisation or the purpose of the team, instead of making assumptions that everyone understands the purpose of the organisation (or team or role), it makes it all more emotionally salient.

Emotional salience can assist in creating emotional resonance with each other in achieving that purpose: Emotional resonance is when we feel more aligned with each other and motivated to support each other because we feel seen and heard. And we all need this right now, in this time of uncertainty.

Without emotional resonance, the ability of a message to connect with people’s feelings and values (even the best corporate messaging) falls flat. A purpose that cannot be felt, cannot guide.

 

Purpose Matters in Organisations: Insight from Deloitte’s 2014 Core Beliefs & Culture Survey

Back in 2014, Deloitte’s Core Beliefs & Culture Survey uncovered something striking about purpose-driven organisations, and the numbers speak for themselves. And I believe these findings are now more relevant for leaders to reflect on than ever.

When employees work somewhere with a genuine sense of purpose, 82% feel confident their company will grow that year. Compare that to just 48% at organisations where purpose is murky or missing. That’s not a small gap.

The long-term picture is even more telling. At purpose-driven companies, 91% of people believe their brand reputation and stakeholder loyalty will get stronger over time. At companies without clear purpose only 49% feel that way.

And it shows up in how these organisations invest, too. Companies with strong purpose are far more likely to put money into the things that matter: new technologies (38% vs. 19%), expanding into new markets (31% vs. 21%), developing products and services (27% vs. 17%), and training and developing their people (25% vs. 11%).

The takeaway? When purpose is authentic it fuels confidence, growth, investment, and long-term stability.

The business case is an important part of the story. Regardless of changes in technology, people are, and always will be part of the business case. Purpose has a deep human role to play. It is the anchor for trust, authenticity, and resilience, especially when everything outside feels uncertain.

 

A Leadership Example: Reclaiming Purpose During Restructuring

One of our clients, a financial services organisation in Dublin, went through a rapid restructuring. The leadership team was overwhelmed with competing priorities, new reporting lines, shifting demands. In the first session, we asked a simple but disarming question from the PERFORM workbook: “Why do you want to do this?”

There was silence.

Then a slow, honest conversation began.

What emerged was not a corporate statement, but something deeply human:

• “We want to build a culture our people are proud to belong to.”
• “We want to lead with integrity in uncertainty.”
• “We want to build resilience and clarity for the next generation of leaders.”

For the first time in months, the room felt grounded. When they reconnected to purpose, their decision-making sharpened. Their communication softened. Their leadership steadied. Purpose changed the tone, not just the strategy.

 

Purpose and Identity: An Overlooked Connection

Purpose is not only why you act,  it is also who you believe yourself to be.

In Developing Learning Habits, I explain that behaviour and the ability to change behaviour flows from identity. When identity and intention misalign, change becomes nearly impossible. We can fall into an identity conflict:

• “I need to appear strong” vs. “I want to lead with openness and humility.”
• “I must have the answers” vs. “I want to create space for my team’s voice.”

When leaders feel this inner contradiction, people and teams sense it immediately. Purpose resolves the conflict by reorienting us all toward what matters most.

 

Practical Reflection: Your Purpose as a Leader

Drawing directly from the PERFORM system workbook, these examples of questions, some of which may feel more relevant than others to you right now, can deepen leadership clarity:

• What does being successful in my life and work ‘look’, ‘sound’ and ‘feel’ like to me? (Success is not always financial or status)
• When am I most alive?
• If I say yes to living purposefully, what do I say no to?
• Why do I want to do this? (for an example, take an action or create a change)
• What can I (or my colleagues, my team, my organisation, my community etc) gain by doing this?
• What do I stand to lose if I don’t do this?
• Which of my values are connected to this purpose?
• How can my purpose become part of my/ our daily rhythm?

Your team, colleagues, families, friends, communities don’t need you to be perfect. They need alignment. They need to know what you stand for and why.

 

Conclusion

Purpose is not a luxury for any of us. Purpose is clarity, safety, and direction.

In a VUCA world, purpose is the most stabilising human competency you can offer,  because understanding and aligning to and with purpose calms the nervous system, aligns the mind to filter for better information and focus, and reduces uncertainty for people.

If you’re curious about how purpose could help your own leadership and teams, Adaptas can help! Contact us on info@adaptastraining.comfor more information on how we can support you.

Leaders MUST Slow Down. Everything Is Moving Too Fast. People Are Disengaging. Opportunities Are Being Missed: It Is Imperative That We Rediscover ‘Purpose’, in this VUCA World

 

When did you last take the time to slow down and consider ‘Purpose’ in your work, and with your colleagues? Purpose is the ‘felt sense’ of meaning that comes from knowing how your work contributes to something bigger than yourself. It’s the internal alignment that impacts how you show up, the choices you make and the energy you bring.

We are all guilty of not putting time into thinking about and discussing this. I see it myself in my own actions and in the actions of many of the managers, leaders and teams I work with. Obstacles for most of us include having so many competing priorities, not seeing the value of putting the time into this, and not understanding the positive impact it could have.

The most important piece to consider here is that we are living through an age of uncertainty, acceleration and relentless information. Many people describe feeling overwhelmed, disillusioned or numb, not because they are fragile, but because their brains are being asked to do things they were never designed for. This includes holding endless competing priorities, holding relentless information coming from all directions, and holding constant global threat without pause. It’s exhausting!

There are many things we can do to manage our minds and bodies together through this. Today I am going to focus on this topic of ‘Purpose’. Giving ourselves the opportunity to reflect on and to discuss our purpose has never been so relevant, in my lifetime anyway. Our brain is built to filter, and regularly misses useful information because of the amount of information coming at us. By understanding our purpose in our roles, at work, as parents, as friends, as carers, in our communities, we can support our brains to filter for information that will enable us to be more efficient and effective in where we focus and how we spend our time.

At its core, purpose reflects four elements:

• Personal fulfilment: growth, mastery, recognition, and strong relationships that make life and work feel rewarding rather than draining.
• Meaningful contribution:feeling that your daily work and life connects to a larger goal for your organisation, customers, family, community, or society as a whole.
• Values alignment: when your personal values and the organisation or community’s mission reinforce each other, it creates a shared sense of direction.
• Positive impact: the desire to make a difference by elevating colleagues and clients, supporting family, friends and neighbours, or leaving an imprint on your industry or community.

For some of us, identifying our purpose in our various roles in life and work will be a motivator, for some of us it will be a path of clarity and focus, and for some it will be a sense of meaning, of hope or of spiritual connection.

When we get clear on our purpose, it focuses us on:

What matters…for example, our values.

What we can influence…our courage to take ownership and agency

How we treat each other as we pass each other in a corridor, or on the street, or virtually, especially when under pressure.

The conversations and reflection we can have together and that allow us to connect with the ‘felt sense’, is so much more impactful than someone telling us what our purpose is. When leaders (I use the term ‘leader’ lightly here, as we are all leaders in our lives and work, don’t wait from someone else to tell you that you are now a ‘leader’) are aligned with their purpose and having the conversations to enable others to align to a purpose, shifts in engagement, motivation and performance, and in resilience can occur. Similarly, teams experience higher psychological safety, stronger loyalty, and greater well-being. Retention an commitment improves. Focus sharpens. People move from “managing tasks” to feeling deeply invested in outcomes for their teams, organisations and communities.

And yet, in many organisations fewer people and teams than you might expect are truly clear on the purpose guiding their role and the responsibilities of their role.

This becomes even more evident in a VUCA world. Amid volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, those in leadership roles often feel pressured to accelerate decisions and keep pace with constant change. But paradoxically, the faster the world moves, the more an individual or team needs their leader to slow down, recalibrate, and re-anchor them in, and on purpose.

Purpose is not a slogan. Purpose is a stabilising force. And neuroscience gives us the reason why.

The neuroscience of purpose shows our brains are naturally driven to seek meaning, shaping our behaviour, emotions and overall well-being.

Our nervous systems evolved to respond to immediate, local danger. Today, instead, we carry the suffering of the world on our shoulders and in our pockets! When threat signals never turn off, the brain does what it must to survive: it becomes anxious, reactive, withdrawn or exhausted. This is not a moral failure. It is biology.

The question, then, is not “How do I stay positive?” It is “How do I stay human?”

A key part of this process involves neurotransmitters, hormones and neuromodulators like dopamine, which strengthens behaviours that align with our goals and values. When we engage in purposeful activities that are meaningful for us, dopamine increases, creating feelings of anticipation and reward that motivate us to continue. That’s of course why so many people are addicted to endlessly scrolling on social media, because algorithms are sending us items that feel meaningful for us based on our previous searches.

Connecting everyday tasks to positive long-term outcomes for ourselves, our teams, our communities provides ongoing activation of the amygdala’s reward pathways. This steady reinforcement is far more powerful for motivation than relying solely on external incentives.

A lot of us are frustrated and confused with decisions being made by our leaders, local and global. Creating a better world does not begin with grand gestures. It begins with regulated nervous systems, clear values, moral imagination and small, consistent acts of care and courage. History is shaped not only by those who shout the loudest, but by those who remain steady, connected and principled during periods of transition.

If this resonates, take a moment to consider your own purpose as a leader, as a parent, as a friend, as a colleague. What’s guiding you right now? I’d love to hear your thoughts, or feel free to reach out if you’d like the PERFORM purpose reflection tool. Having provided this to many of my coaching clients and teams, I have seen focus and clarity transpire and develop.

Over the past year, our network of Adaptas coaches have worked with professionals across multiple industries and roles; from early-career contributors to senior leaders.

We asked them one simple question: What challenges keep coming up in coaching sessions?

The themes that surfaced were remarkably consistent. And they offer a clear signal to Learning & Development (L&D) leaders about where organisations might focus their energy in 2025.

 

 

 

A Year of Pressure and Potential

 

The story we heard was one of both stretch and stagnation. Many individuals are motivated, self-aware, and eager to grow yet feel blocked by confidence gaps, role ambiguity, and limited progression pathways. Others are navigating the emotional toll of hybrid work, blurred boundaries, and constant “busy-ness.”

Beneath it all, one theme stood out: people are craving ownership and clarity (over their time, their conversations, and their careers).

 

1. Confidence and Communication

Across levels, individuals are naming the need to communicate with more clarity, courage, and self-belief.

Common coaching topics included:

• Speaking up confidently, particularly when English isn’t a first language.
• Managing conflict and navigating difficult team dynamics.
• Expressing ideas clearly and succinctly, avoiding “waffle” and hesitation.
• Saying no and asserting boundaries without guilt.

At the heart of this lies a neuroscientific insight: confidence grows through repeated experience of success, not through self-critique. Coaching that helps people recognise and reframe their unhelpful internal narrative, for example, the “I’m not ready” or “I shouldn’t challenge” beliefs many of us hold, leads to real behavioural change.

 

2. Managing Upwards and Across

A striking number of coaching clients spoke about feeling unheard or dismissed when proposing new ways of working.

This highlights a deeper systemic issue: the persistence of the “that’s the way we’ve always done it” mindset.

Leaders want to innovate, but feel limited by existing hierarchies and expectations.

Organisations that prioritise psychological safety and feedback cultures are the ones empowering their people to challenge norms and co-create new solutions.

 

3. The Time Poverty Trap

The sense of being “time poor” was nearly universal. Leaders are under pressure to deliver, often at the expense of people management. This avoidance of crucial conversations creates downstream effects: overlooked employees, stalled careers, and low engagement.

Here, a small mindset shift makes a big difference. Coaching encourages leaders to view one-to-one time not as a disruption to performance, but as a driver of it. The brain’s reward system activates when people feel seen, heard, and supported; a physiological foundation for trust and motivation.

 

4. Career Ownership and Progression Clarity

Many individuals described uncertainty about how to progress asking, “Whose responsibility is my career?”

While many organisations have transparent frameworks, they are often under-used or poorly communicated.

Encouraging employees to take ownership of their career conversations, for example, to ask for clarity, feedback, and mentorship has proven a powerful shift.

When supported by senior management, L&D, Talent Management and HR teams, this ownership creates a more proactive, self-directed culture of growth.

 

5. Gendered Pressures and Burnout Risk

Female professionals, particularly working parents, reported feeling the strain of carrying multiple roles, such as leader, colleague, caregiver. The desire to “be everything to everyone” continues to contribute to exhaustion and early burnout.

Organisations that promote equitable workload distribution, flexible working, and wellbeing-centred leadership are seeing stronger retention and morale.

 

Where Do We Go from Here?

 

The data tells a human story. People want to grow, but we all need support systems that reflect today’s realities.

For senior management, L&D, Talent Management and HR teams, this means re-imagining development through programmes that build:

• Confidence and self-expression (especially for emerging leaders and global teams)
• Coaching conversations skills for managers
• Career development ownership frameworks
• Hybrid working communication tools grounded in fairness and trust
• Resilience and regulation strategies to prevent burnout before it begins

At Adaptas, we see these not as separate issues, but as connected threads. When individuals understand their own patterns and leaders create environments where it’s safe to speak, stretch, and learn, growth cascades across teams and cultures.

 

Closing Thought

 

Change starts in conversation. Whether in a coaching session, a team dialogue, or a quiet moment of reflection, each insight creates a ripple.

Our role, as facilitators of learning and culture, is to make sure those ripples reach every corner of the organisation.

Our CEO, Dr. Celine Mullins was interviewed recently by the Irish Times on the topic of unconscious bias in the workplace. Can focusing on unconscious bias inadvertently reinforce workplace discrimination? Celine highlights that it matters how seriously the organization approaches the training.

“Mandatory training is fine if there’s an understanding that tackling unconscious bias is being built into every other area: recruiting, induction, learning, HR and promotion, for example. Otherwise, if the organisation is only taking a light-touch approach, you can do more damage than good.”

Read the whole article here:

https://www.irishtimes.com/special-reports/2024/10/11/can-focusing-on-unconscious-bias-reinforce-workplace-discrimination/

If you’ve ever found yourself doubting your abilities, feeling like you’re just waiting to be “found out” as a fraud at work, you’re not alone. This feeling, commonly known as imposter syndrome, is something that many professionals experience, especially when stepping into new roles or responsibilities. The good news? It’s totally manageable. Here are three practical strategies to help you overcome imposter syndrome and reclaim your confidence at work.

 

 

1. Recognize and Reframe Your Thoughts

The first step in tackling imposter syndrome is recognizing when it’s happening. Often, these feelings come from deeply ingrained thought patterns that tell us we’re not good enough or that we don’t deserve our success. When you catch yourself thinking this way, pause and reframe those thoughts by looking for a more helpful perspective. 

For example, if you’re thinking, “I’m not qualified for this job,” try to flip the script: “I was hired because I bring unique skills and perspectives to the table.” This simple shift in thinking can help you see your reality, and what you’re capable of, in a more positive light. It’s not about lying to yourself but rather reminding yourself of the truth: you are capable, and you’ve earned your place. 

 

 

When reframing your thoughts it’s useful to remember that high quality thinking has the following three qualities:

1. It’s HELPFUL. Directs your attention to a perspective that helps you move forward.
2. It’s EMPOWERING. Focus on your strengths and solutions. Remind yourself of your resilience. 
3. It’s TRUE. Don’t lie to yourself, it never really works. Instead, look for the helpful and empowering truths of your situation. 

 

2. Celebrate Your Wins—Big and Small

One common trait among people with imposter syndrome is that they tend to downplay their accomplishments. They might chalk up successes to luck or external factors rather than their own skills and hard work. To combat this, make it a habit to celebrate your wins, no matter how small they seem.

Did you finish a project ahead of schedule? Celebrate that! Did you receive positive feedback from a colleague? Take a moment to appreciate it. Keeping a “win journal” where you jot down these successes can be a great way to reflect on your achievements and remind yourself of your growth over time. This practice not only boosts your confidence but also helps you build a more balanced and realistic view of your abilities.

One of our colleagues used this very technique to help her overcome imposter syndrome when she was starting her own business! 

“I kept a record of all my wins, no matter how small, month to month and looked back on them regularly. This helped me to see that those wins were growing steadily over time and made it impossible to ignore my progress.”

Annika McGivern – Adaptas Coach and Facilitator 

 

 

 

3. Seek Support and Share Your Feelings

One of the most powerful ways to manage imposter syndrome is to talk about it. Opening up to a trusted colleague, mentor, or friend about your feelings can be incredibly liberating. You might be surprised to find that others have felt the same way at some point in their careers, and simply knowing that you’re not alone can reduce the intensity of these feelings.

Moreover, seeking out a mentor or joining a professional group can provide you with guidance, feedback, and encouragement. These relationships can help you gain perspective on your achievements and offer a more objective view of your progress. Sometimes, we’re our own harshest critics, and having someone else to remind us of our strengths can make a world of difference.

 

 

Final Thoughts

Imposter syndrome doesn’t have to be a permanent fixture in your professional life. By recognizing and reframing your thoughts, celebrating your wins, and seeking support, you can take control of these feelings and move forward with confidence. Remember, everyone starts somewhere, and no one has all the answers. What matters is your willingness to learn, grow, and continue showing up—even when self-doubt creeps in. So, the next time you feel that familiar twinge of imposter syndrome, take a deep breath, remind yourself of your worth, and keep going. You’ve got this!

 

At adaptas, we regularly engage with individuals, teams, and organisations on the topic of values. Our work often involves helping people discover their core personal values and assisting teams and organisations in choosing their guiding principles. Identifying and committing to a set of values can be transformative, providing powerful clarity that supports action and resolves conflicts. But what happens after this initial discovery? 

 

 

 

 

“Change is the only constant in life. One’s ability to adapt to these changes will determine your success in life.” – B. Franklin

 

Imagine a person in their early twenties who, inspired by a newfound interest in personal development, completes a personal values exercise. They gain clarity and direction, feeling deeply aligned with their newly identified values. For many years, these values guide their important life decisions. However, as they approach their early thirties, they notice a misalignment. Have they lost their way, or is it simply time to revisit and update their values?

Values are powerful because they provide deep insights into what drives us and what we consider most important in life. However, as we grow and change, our values should evolve too. It would be unproductive to define our lives by outdated values that no longer resonate with our current selves.

 

Here at adaptas, we recently experienced a similar journey. Despite regularly assisting others in clarifying their values, we hadn’t revisited our own organisational values in over a decade. Our team began to struggle with clarity in several areas: Who did we most want to work with? What knowledge did we want to share? What were we most passionate about? The values adaptas started with sixteen years ago no longer represented the heart of our business. It was time to refresh our values to reflect our current goals and aspirations.

 

Here’s what we came up with:

Courageous Insight – Warmth and Candour 

Only by truly knowing and sharing ourselves can we develop the courage to live and work with candour, creating safe and thriving workplace cultures. We meet every client with an open heart and mind, expecting the same from them, so that together we can build experiences that spark genuine lasting change.

 

Collaborative Synergy – Commitment and Partnership

When both teacher and learner share a common language and lens, the resulting synergy elevates outcomes beyond expectations. To foster deep connection and equitable experiential learning, we present material through multiple immersive mediums, including theatre-based techniques, science, and innovative tech.

 

Cascading Growth – Growth and Development

Deep change carves new learning pathways that lead to meaningful, long-term development. By encouraging an open, curious attitude toward positive change, our clients build transformative momentum that allows them to reach their true potential.

The benefits of this update are already apparent. With our newly refined values, our team has found the clarity we were seeking. The process of defining these values and carrying them forward acts as a compass for our decisions and actions. Equally important is the self-discovery that occurs when we pause to ask ourselves crucial questions:

 

Who are we now? What matters to us now? What do we truly want to represent? What is most important to us about our work? What mark do we want to make on the world?

 

Updating your values is not just an exercise in clarity; it’s a journey of self-discovery and growth. Whether you are an individual, a team, or an organisation, revisiting and refreshing your values can help you stay aligned with your current goals and aspirations. It ensures that your guiding principles are relevant and meaningful, supporting you in making decisions that reflect who you are today. So, when was the last time you thought about your values? Perhaps now is the perfect moment to pause, reflect, and embrace the evolution of your true self.

 

Here at adaptas, we work with individuals, organisations, and teams to identify, refine, structure, action, and eventually revisit their values. Get in touch today if you’re curious about how working on values could benefit you or your team or organisation.

 

In the dynamic landscape of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), effective leadership stands as the cornerstone for success. But what if we told you that leadership isn’t just a skill honed through experience and expertise, but also has a profound connection with the intricate workings of the brain? Welcome to the realm of the neuroscience of leadership – a fascinating exploration that unveils the neurological underpinnings of exceptional leadership in SMEs.

 

 

 

The Brain’s Role in Leadership

At the core of leadership lies the brain, orchestrating complex processes that govern decision-making, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills. Neuroscientific research has delved into the neural circuits that dictate leadership behaviors, shedding light on how SME leaders can optimize their brain function for superior performance.

1. Emotional Intelligence and the Limbic System: Leadership isn’t just about making rational decisions; it’s equally about understanding and managing emotions—both yours and those of your team. The limbic system, often referred to as the emotional brain, plays a pivotal role in this aspect. SME leaders with high emotional intelligence demonstrate enhanced activity in areas like the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, enabling them to navigate complex social situations and make emotionally informed decisions.

2. Decision-Making and the Prefrontal Cortex: The prefrontal cortex, often considered the executive center of the brain, is responsible for decision-making, problem-solving, and self-control. Successful SME leaders exhibit robust prefrontal cortex activity, allowing them to assess risks, strategize effectively, and maintain composure under pressure. Nurturing this part of the brain through practices like mindfulness and cognitive training can enhance a leader’s ability to make sound decisions in the face of uncertainty.

 

 

Cultivating a Neurologically Savvy Leadership Style

Understanding the neuroscience of leadership is only the beginning. SME leaders can leverage this knowledge to cultivate a leadership style that is not only effective but also resonates with the neurological needs of their teams.

1. Neuro-Inclusive Communication: Communication is a fundamental aspect of leadership, and neuroscientific insights can revolutionize the way leaders engage with their teams. Tailoring communication styles to align with the brain’s preference for storytelling, visuals, and positive reinforcement fosters a neuro-inclusive environment. This approach enhances team engagement, making it easier for SME leaders to convey their vision and goals effectively.

2. Stress Management and Cortisol Regulation: The fast-paced world of SMEs can be inherently stressful, impacting both leaders and team members. Neurologically savvy leaders understand the importance of cortisol regulation—the hormone associated with stress response. Implementing stress-reduction techniques, promoting work-life balance, and fostering a supportive workplace culture can help regulate cortisol levels, ensuring a healthier and more productive team dynamic.

 

 

The Neuroplasticity Advantage

One of the most exciting aspects of the neuroscience of leadership is the concept of neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and reorganize itself based on experiences and learning.

1. Continuous Learning and Brain Plasticity: SME leaders can harness the power of neuroplasticity by fostering a culture of continuous learning. Encouraging team members to acquire new skills, providing opportunities for professional development, and embracing change stimulates neuroplasticity, ensuring that the brain remains agile and adaptable in the face of evolving challenges.

2. Visionary Leadership and Dopamine Release: The brain’s reward system, including dopamine release, is closely linked to visionary leadership. Painting a compelling vision for the future activates the brain’s reward pathways, instilling a sense of purpose and motivation in the team. By consistently reinforcing and aligning actions with the organizational vision, SME leaders can sustain high levels of motivation and commitment.

 

 

Leading with Neuroscience

In the intricate dance of SME leadership, understanding the neuroscience behind effective leadership provides a unique advantage. Leaders who grasp the intricacies of the brain’s role in decision-making, emotional intelligence, and team dynamics can sculpt their leadership style to resonate with the neurological needs of their teams. By embracing neuro-inclusive communication, stress management techniques, and a commitment to continuous learning, SME leaders can create an environment that not only fosters success but also nurtures the brain’s remarkable capacity for adaptation and growth. In the dynamic world of SMEs, leading with neuroscience isn’t just a strategy—it’s a neurological blueprint for leadership excellence.

Interested in building your neuroscience informed leadership skills? Reach out to Adaptas today to discuss how we can support leaders and their teams through learning programmes and personalised coaching.

In the fast-paced and dynamic world of corporate leadership, the ability to listen and ask thoughtful questions is often underestimated. In our work with leaders we meet many who focus on decisiveness, strategic thinking, and vision, overlooking the fundamental skills that can transform their leadership style. In this blog, we’ll delve into the profound impact that active listening and effective questioning can have on corporate leadership, offering insights into why these skills are crucial for fostering a thriving, innovative, and adaptive organizational culture.

Creating a Culture of Inclusivity and Trust

Effective leadership is not just about giving orders; it’s about building relationships and creating a culture where every team member feels valued and heard. Listening actively to employees fosters a sense of inclusivity, making them more likely to share their ideas, concerns, and perspectives. When leaders take the time to genuinely listen, trust is established, forming the bedrock of a cohesive and motivated team.

Asking questions complements this by signaling to employees that their input is not only welcome but crucial to the decision-making process. Thoughtful questions demonstrate a leader’s genuine interest in understanding different viewpoints, encouraging open communication and collaboration. In turn, this open dialogue builds a resilient corporate culture, where creativity and innovation thrive.

Enhancing Decision-Making Through Diverse Perspectives

The adage “two heads are better than one” holds true in the corporate world. When leaders actively listen to a variety of perspectives and ask insightful questions, they gain a more comprehensive understanding of situations. This diversity of input helps in making well-informed decisions that take into account different angles and potential consequences.

Listening also enables leaders to identify underlying issues and concerns within the organization, allowing for proactive problem-solving. By asking the right questions, leaders can uncover innovative solutions and challenge the status quo. This approach not only enhances decision-making but also encourages a culture of continuous improvement.

Building Stronger Team Dynamics

A leader’s ability to listen and ask questions directly impacts team dynamics. Active listening fosters empathy, creating a connection between leaders and team members. When employees feel heard and understood, their motivation and engagement levels increase. This, in turn, leads to higher productivity and a more positive work environment.

Asking questions that encourage team members to share their thoughts and experiences promotes a sense of ownership and accountability. Leaders who pose questions that prompt reflection and self-assessment empower their teams to take initiative and contribute actively to the organization’s success.

Adapting to Change and Embracing Innovation

The corporate landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, with change being the only constant. Leaders who possess strong listening and questioning skills are better equipped to navigate uncertainty and guide their teams through transitions. Actively listening to employees’ concerns during times of change builds trust and helps manage resistance effectively.

Asking questions becomes a powerful tool for driving innovation within the organization. By encouraging employees to think critically and offering solutions, leaders tap into the collective intelligence of the team. This not only leads to innovative ideas but also instills a culture of adaptability, preparing the organization for future challenges.

Conclusion

In the 15+ years Adaptas has been working in the world of corporate leadership, we have seen the skills of active listening and effective questioning stand out as indispensable tools for success. Leaders who prioritize these skills create a culture of trust, inclusivity, and innovation. They make informed decisions, build strong team dynamics, and adapt to change with resilience.

To elevate corporate leadership, it’s crucial to recognize that listening is not a passive activity but an active and intentional process. Likewise, asking questions is not just about seeking answers; it’s about fostering a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement. By honing these skills, leaders can not only enhance their personal effectiveness but also contribute to the growth and success of the entire organization. In the journey towards becoming exceptional leaders, the power of listening and asking questions should never be underestimated. Reach out today to chat with us about how Adaptas can coach your teams and leaders in these essential skills.

What role does empathy play in the work place?

 

A story that my friend told me once has always stuck with me, we’ll call her Amy for the purposes of this retelling. I remember hearing her complain for weeks and weeks about a particular colleague of hers. In an attempt to strengthen bonds within her newly formed work team, her manager had encouraged them all to work together to meet their latest deadlines and to work collaboratively on all of their current projects.

Amy has always prided herself on her ability to make friends and work with others, so she saw this development as a great opportunity to get to know her teammates. At first, she seemed to get along swimmingly with them all. However, soon it was very clear that one colleague in particular was going to be an issue for her.  Over many phone calls and morning coffees Amy shared the struggles she was experiencing with this colleague of hers, who we will call Alex. Alex routinely missed team meetings, would regularly turn up late, could be irritable and dismissive, and worst of all in my friend’s eyes, was a procrastinator.  Amy has always been a very organised person. She lives her life through her planner and has always been the one to organise every detail of a group trip or night out. So she had, to no one’s surprise, easily fallen into the role of “team organiser” with her work colleagues. She quickly found out that Alex had a habit of leaving his work to the last possible minute, working in short bursts of productivity rather than in organised segments until the deadline, like Amy would have preferred. Amy liked to discuss group progress on their various deadlines in the organised weekly meetings she had set up for her team. She liked to make sure that all team members were on the same page in order to provide aid to those who found themselves somewhat behind.

 

A lack of understanding often creates a lack of empathy.

 

She seemed to think that most of her teammates found these meetings helpful and easily provided updates on their current progress. However, Amy found that whenever Alex was asked about the work he was responsible for, his answers were blunt, defensive and dismissive. Amy could not understand why Alex was being so deliberately unhelpful and standoffish. She lamented to me that Alex was deliberately not being a team player, and that if he was worried about not being able to reach the deadlines on time, then he could simply ask for help instead of lashing out.  I advised Amy to speak to Alex and attempt to probe the topic gently with him instead of jumping to her own conclusions about the situation and forcing her own assumptions onto her coworker. Amy begrudgingly agreed and promised to carefully bring the issue up with Alex in private the next day. Amy and I met up for dinner a few days later. When I greeted her at the table she had pre- booked, she seemed to be in a much better mood. I didn’t even need to ask her if she had had that conversation with Alex before the story poured out of her.

 

Get curious, instead of sticking with assumptions, opens new doors for communication.

 

She informed me that she had carefully broached the subject with Alex in private in the office at the end of the day. She had explained her frustration and confusion with her coworker as politely as she could. She said that at first Alex seemed to be slightly bristled by her words before sighing and explaining his side of the story.

Alex explained that he had found Amy’s tendency to be over-organised extremely suffocating. He informed Amy that he liked to be able to complete his assigned work in his own time and didn’t like feeling like Amy was “breathing down their neck” all the time. Amy was somewhat taken aback by this. She felt that she had just been trying to help and had stepped up to the organiser position as no one else had. She bit back the hurt she felt and instead made the effort to hear her coworker out.  Alex continued and explained that while many of the other members of the team liked the structure that Amy’s organising provided, he just didn’t feel the same. Alex concluded that he was sorry for being dismissive and defensive, but that he had just not known how to bring up the issue with Amy without seeming rude.

Amy thanked Alex for explaining himself and agreed to stop micromanaging, and to develop more faith in her team, if Alex promised to make more of an effort to attend team meetings and become more of a team player.  Amy concluded to me that while she had seen this opportunity to work more closely with her colleagues as a chance to get to know them better, she had not actually tried to get to know them past their status as coworkers. She reflected that she honestly did not know any of her coworkers on a personal level and could definitely not call any of them friends. She decided that she was going to make a better effort to actually get to know her coworkers, as her experience with Alex had told her that understanding your coworkers greatly improves your ability to work together.

 

Empathy is an important work-place skill.

 

 

Empathy is one of the most useful skills a person can have both in the workplace and outside of it. Empathy has been defined as “the ability to understand someone else’s feelings and experiences”, an ability which allows people to better understand the perspectives of others. Having empathy for your coworkers, making the effort to understand and communicate with them, just as Amy and Alex did, can serve to improve working relationships. Empathy, and both the communication and understanding that comes with it, allows individuals to learn about other’s preferences, their working styles, and even their personal life. All of these details help us to further empathise with and understand the perspectives and motivations of our coworkers, and therefore learn how to effectively work with them. Utilising empathy as a tool within the workplace has been connected to both effective workplace communication, as well as overall organisational
success (References: 1, 2, 3, 4).

Reflecting on this story do you feel that you have made an effort to personally get to know your coworkers? Does Alex remind you of any coworkers you currently have or have had in the past?

Is VR the future of mental health and learning?

 

When we imagine tools to help with anxiety, the first image that comes to mind probably isn’t someone with a VR headset on! However, as the impact of Virtual Reality continues to expand, the incredible potential of this new technology is positively impacting learning, mental health, and well-being.

Recently, adaptas was featured in an article in the Irish Independent highlighting cutting edge applications of Virtual Reality. Our Creative Tech Producer Camille Donegan and CEO, Dr. Celine Mullins were credited for their excellent work on the award-winning Dala Project.

 

More about the Dala Project

 

During 2021 Dr. Celine Mullins and VR Producer Camille Donegan, produced a series of Virtual Reality films for CAMHS (Galway Roscommon Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) to help teenagers manage their anxiety. The project was spear-headed by Senior Occupational Therapists at CAMHS, Niamh Morrin and Fiona Mulvey.

With The Dala Project, teenagers embody Dala, a gender neutral character who is anxious about going to school. Dala uses a Pathfinder app on their phone which coaches them through breathing exercises and other techniques to overcome their anxious thoughts and feelings. The scripting, design and development of the piece was co-created with the teenagers at CAMHS Galway and Roscommon.

The Dala Project is one of several new projects attempting to harness the power and potential of VR to support mental health, well-being, and learning in directly. Research suggests that some people are more willing to engage with therapeutic support through VR because it takes the focus off of them as an individual and allows them instead to contribute as an avatar, or relate to a character like Dala. As quoted in the recent Irish Independent article, Camille Donegan shares that “Dala has become a conduit to the conversation about mental health and that is so important, because it can become an indirect way for the service user to receive therapy.”

 

 

 

 

What’s next for VR and adaptas?

 

The power of VR as a tool to support mental health lies in the experiential learning available to user as they actively embody a character or avatar.

“There is no doubt that VR is not just for Gen Z gamers. As the price of headsets drops, Irish owned tech companies like vStream, Solas VR and adaptas Training are proving that VR can be a versatile wellness-boosting tool.”

– Irish Independent

At adaptas we are actively working on designing new, bespoke VR solutions for learning, mental health and well-being. Other learning tools we are currently working on include the Telecoms and Hospitality Sectors.  If you are interested in finding out how VR could be used to support the development of your team or organisation, contact us to today to set up a call.

 

 

 

Being a team leader is an important responsibility, one that should not be taken lightly. The way a team is led sets the tone for how successful it will be. For example, Babiker et al (2014) have found that effective leadership is a key characteristic of an overall efficient team. 

There are many things that need to be taken into account when it comes to leading a team, especially in the case of virtual or hybrid teams. We are all aware that the lack of in-person interaction creates a gap in communication and the building of team relationships. So, it’s important that a leader is INTENTIONAL about tackling these obstacles created by the lack of consistency of office time, to ensure the smooth running of the team. 

But don’t worry, you don’t have to tackle these problems by yourself. We have a few tips to share that will ensure you are leading your team in the most effective way possible.

 

Living out company values.

It is, of course essential for a leader to lead by example, to represent the values of their company, and to act as a role model for the team. Team members will look to their leader for guidance; therefore, a leader must be seen to be leading and working in the ways that they expect their team members to work. A paper by Zeuge et al (2020) suggests that team members will look to their leader for guidance; therefore, a leader must be seen to be leading and working in the ways that they expect their team members to work.

We find that many people have not thought about what the company values mean for how they communicate and behave at work. It is important for a leader to reflect on what the values mean for them, how these organisational values align to their own values as a human being, and to support others to reflect similarly. A leader expecting their team to live out company values while at work but not leading by example can cause rifts within team relationships. 

If we consider our own personal values and what is most important to us, we have more in common than we realise. Having conversations about values with colleagues, both our own personal values, and how they align to the company values is powerful for building trust, psychological safety, and closing any distance we might feel. 

 

Flexibility and adaptability.

In order to tackle the potential challenges of virtual leadership, it is important for a leader to be capable of creating a flexible working environment, as well as being able to adapt to any and all changes that may come their way. Creating a flexible working environment can aid in reducing problems caused by miscommunication, lack of control and ineffective coordination within virtual teams. 

Research, and our own experiences, show the negative effects of not eating properly, drinking enough water, having enough sleep, enjoying downtime in our waking life, and not getting moderate physical exercise a few times per week. If we are not taking care of ourselves, the balance of our hormones and neurotransmitters can be out of alignment, and can therefore impact our ability to be, for example, open to challenge and think creatively. This can also impact our ability to think in the “grey”, as many of us can adopt an “all or nothing” mindset when we are over- or under-stimulated, hungry, or tired. 

This emphasises our need for flexibility in the workplace in order to cater to our own needs, which can be made easier in a virtual space in which it is possible to work from home. 

In a paper by Zeuge et al, 2020 it has been recommended that teams should have at least one initial face-to-face meeting in order to create a flexible environment. If that is not possible then there must be a period of time dedicated to socialising when the team is initially formed. This socialisation process should however be an ongoing process which continues past the initial forming of the team. This can be made possible through friendly conversation made at the beginning or end of meetings. For example, asking team members how their week was, if they have plans for the weekend, or making conversation about potential challenges they may be experiencing in regard to their work. The leader of the team can encourage discussions of team projects and coordination to be had amongst all members of the team to ensure that everyone has their say. Some of us like to speak, some of us prefer to take time to reflect. Think about how you can make sure to invite all voices to be heard.

 

Let your presence be known. 

In a virtual space it is very important for a leader to create a sense of “presence”. They must create a sense of being there with the team in order to strengthen the bonds and inter-personal relationships in the team. In order to do this, Zeuge et al. 2020 recommend that the leader make themselves available as often as possible to the team during working hours. An effort should be made to communicate promptly and regularly. This can be especially difficult for international teams living in different time zones. Therefore, it is very important that a virtual team leader be aware of the other team members’ schedules. 

One of the team leaders’ responsibilities is to create clarity regardless of schedules and time zones. Are you creating all the clarity your team members need currently? Many leaders are so busy thinking about so many things that they are not taking the planning or conversational time to make sure all involved have clarity. 

 

“Leadership is more about clarity than it is about control”.

Mark Goulston

 

Who are you as a leader?

Reflecting on the points made regarding; living out company values, flexibility and adaptability, and let your presence be known. 

• Do you feel that you as a leader are setting a positive example to your team? 
• In what ways have you created a flexible working environment that adapts to the needs of your team? 
• How do you create a tangible, reliable presence in your workplace regardless of whether it is in-person, virtual, or hybrid? 

In doing these things you can create a positive, efficient workplace built upon strong, trusting relationships. Learning how to embody a leadership position in a way that positively utilises your influence, and cultivates a culture of trust within a team is an invaluable tool. 

For more information on leadership within teams check out some more of our blogs, which you can find here: https://adaptastraining.com/blog/ 

 

Written by Sorcha Smith

Why do we even need virtual teams?

 

Hybrid work is here to stay. This seems to be the general consensus in the aftermath of the Covid 19 lockdowns. The transition back to the pre-Covid norms of in-person work is not a smooth one, with many individuals finding better life-work balance, less commuting stress and more professional flexibility while working at home. Planned workforces are now accounting for a workforce with hybrid workers making up over 50% of employees, 22% of workers being fully remote and only 23% of workers being in office or on-site full time. As more and more people are favouring remote work over in-person work, creating and working within virtual teams is becoming a staple part of most organisations. With this in mind it is essential to keep up with this demand or risk falling behind. In this blog we will discuss the necessity of creating and maintaining relationships within a virtual team, through communication and trust. Without these strong relationships, virtual teams will be ineffective and unpleasant to work in.

It is important to reflect on your own leading style, are you catering for your team? Are you catering for the changes brought about by the rise of virtual workspaces? Do your team members enjoy working with you? It is imperative to make changes in the way we lead and work in order to keep up with our changing working environments.

 

Sticking to the three C’s

 

Teams that don’t get on, don’t work.
In order for teams to be productive and effective they must exist within a workplace that they enjoy. Creating a cooperative, positive, and motivational workspace can be difficult. This is made even more complicated with the rise in virtual workspaces, due to the lack of proximity and face-to-face meetings. Therefore, we propose a formula to stick to in order to create and maintain a productive team, the three C’s. Which are:

 

1. Creating strong relationships within a team.

 

Perhaps the most essential factor in leading a successful virtual team, is the existence of strong relationships within the team. It is a leader’s role to encourage these relationships and both initiate and strengthen team cohesion. A virtual leader must find the common ground shared by the group and build strong relationships upon it. This serves to solidify the bond between team members as well as instilling trust in the team amongst its members. Obviously, with virtual teams, this can prove somewhat challenging due to the lack of office culture and in-person interaction. In an online workspace you won’t run into someone on your way to the photocopier or while you make a cup of tea in the office kitchen. This is why it is important to compensate these in-person interactions with alternatives that are suitable for a virtual setting. For example, hosting celebrations for birthdays, promotions, debuts etc. online if they cannot be done in-person. Hosting virtual coffee breaks to allow team members to talk casually and get to know each other. Additionally, virtual leaders making “care calls” with individual members as a way to check in on them and get to know them better. Building strong relationships within a team creates a more productive, positive, and efficient working environment. It can be difficult to achieve virtually, however, it is not impossible. One of the most effective ways to build and maintain these relationships is through consistent, positive communication.

 

2. Communication is key.

 

Communication is the driving force behind an efficient workplace. Communication, and the exchange of personal information, has been found to greatly benefit teams. Communication not only creates the foundations for a strong team, but also allows for the sharing of information, effective planning and general “check-in’s”. However, consistent, effective communication is far more difficult to uphold in a virtual workplace. Therefore, virtual leaders should have a good understanding of face-to-face communication techniques and how they can be modified to suit a virtual environment. Leaders should also be able to motivate their team to engage in continuous communication, of both a professional and personal nature. This will increase team cohesion and motivation, build trust, and improve teams’ overall performance. Leaders must understand that there will be a period of adjustment, bumps in the road. It is therefore important that the leader not only encourages communication within the team, but also communicates candidly with the team. Decision making should be a transparent process in which the rest of the team should be encouraged to participate. Doing this can make the formation of strong relationships a faster process, as well as making it easier to discuss and bring about workplace plans and strategies. Strong team relationships built on positive communication can offer stability within a virtual workspace, as well as improving the overall performance of a virtual team.

 

3. Cultivating a culture of trust.

 

One of the main goals of positive communication within the workplace is to build strong trusting relationships. Virtual teams are generally made up of individuals who have never worked together before, so it is therefore imperative that an effort is made to ensure the development of trusting relationships. Trust is seen as a critical condition for the cohesiveness and success of a team in a virtual setting especially. Leaders can encourage trust within their team by setting clear and mutual expectations, improving coherence, and motivating team members to improve team performance. Trust is much more essential in a virtual setting as the team members are more dependent on the leader to define and sustain the organisation and team culture. Therefore, it is important that the leader makes an effort to build trust within the team. In order to do this, the leader can pay attention to how team members connect and respond to each other. As well as how they are maintaining any shared tasks they may have. Trust determines whether or not team members will ask each other for help, share feedback with each other, and discuss issues or conflicts. Therefore, the more trusting a team is of one another, the more effective they will be in their work.

The three C’s can be used as a framework from which to design a team, or as a frame of reference for reflection on current teams. Reflecting on the three C’s, do you think that you are prioritising your team and the relationships within it? Are you communicating clearly and regularly with your team? Are you making an effort to encourage trust between all team members? And how can you implement these factors into the way that you work?

Written by Sorcha Smith