"A thoroughly engaging, easy-to-read guide to the ever-increasing role of neuroscience in shaping modern business practices.... The authors have translated often complex advances in the understanding of brain function into common-sense suggestions that should be required reading for anyone even thinking of starting or running a business." —Robert A. Burton, MD, former chief of neurology Mt. Zion-UCSF Hospital, and
author of On Being Certain; Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not
"What if most leadership bestsellers had been ignoring leaders' most important asset—your unique human brain? What if Six Sigma was inhibiting your brain's capacity to adapt to new environments? What if the whole debate on whether to think rationally or follow your intuitions was based on a false dichotomy? What if paying attention to what you pay attention to allowed you to be more effective and make better decisions?
The Brain Advantage answers those questions, and many more. More importantly, it will force you to recognize new questions and challenge unexamined leadership assumptions, improving your ability to adapt to the changing economy we live in."
—Alvaro Fernandez, CEO & Co-Founder, SharpBrains
Business leaders are in charge. They are in charge of people, of budgets, of production lines. Most leaders also believe that they are in charge of their greatest resource—their own brain.
But how true is that?
The more we understand about how the brain works, the clearer it becomes that often our brain kicks in before we do. For example:
1. The more expert we become, the less we “think.”
2. Our brain can con us into being sure that we’re right—even when we’re wrong.
3. Without consulting us, our brain decides who to trust.
The good news is that leaders can use what researchers have learned about the brain to manage their own brains more effectively. That’s the first Brain Advantage. Just as important, leaders can use that knowledge to manage other people more effectively. That’s the second Brain Advantage.
The Brain Advantage does for business leaders what few have time to do for themselves. It combines the latest brain research with insights from psychological studies of how people think. It uses powerful stories to convey that information, and presents it in short, readable chapters.
Each chapter is divided into three parts:
“What’s the story?” reports in concise, digestible terms the science behind how the brain works.
“Interesting, but so what?” discusses how this research is relevant to business leadership today.
“What if …” illustrates what leaders might do differently if they were truly to “lead with the brain in mind.”
The Brain Advantage shows leaders how to become even more effective decision-makers, communicators, and change-agents.
You can also visit the website,
www.thebrainadvantage.com, for more information.
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-1-59102-764-5
Shipping Weight: 1lbs
Author Bio:
Madeleine L. Van Hecke, PhD (Elmhurst, IL), is a licensed clinical psychologist; a former Professor of Psychology at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois; and a lecturer and workshop leader for Open Arms Seminars. She is the author of Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things.
Lisa P. Callahan (Bartlett, IL) is the global lead for learning and knowledge management for the outsourcing practice at Accenture. Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services, and outsourcing company.
Brad Kolar (Naperville, IL) is the president of Kolar Associates, a management and leadership consulting company.
Ken A. Paller, PhD (Evanston, IL), works as a cognitive neuroscientist at Northwestern University. He is also a Fellow of the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, a Professor of Psychology, and Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at the university.
