How do great leaders influence the brains of the people they lead?
In this episode, Prof. Michael Platt from the Wharton School and Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania explores leadership through the lens of social neuroscience, anthropology and human behaviour.
Michael explains why the human brain remains optimised for a world that existed hundreds of thousands of years ago and why rapid advances in artificial intelligence are creating new challenges for leadership, attention, decision-making and organisational performance.
The conversation examines how leaders influence the emotional and cognitive states of their teams. Michael discusses why authenticity, trust and psychological connection matter, and how subtle social signals such as facial expressions, attention and emotional contagion can shape organisational culture.
The discussion also explores social synchrony, mirror neurons, neuroplasticity and cognitive overload in the age of AI. Michael considers why protecting human intelligence and becoming more deeply human may be among the most important leadership priorities of the future.
In this conversation, you’ll discover:
🔹 Why leadership involves influencing the emotional and cognitive states of others
🔹 How trust, authenticity and social connection affect teams
🔹 What social neuroscience can teach us about organisational culture
🔹 How AI may affect attention, decision-making and cognitive capacity
🔹 Why human capabilities could become more valuable as AI advances
🔹 What emerging research is exploring about GLP-1 medications, mindfulness and self-regulation
Discover how understanding the social brain could help leaders build more adaptive, resilient and human-centred organisations.
Learn more and join the npnHub community:https://npnhub.com/
Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer at:https://npnhub.com/podcast-disclaimer/

How can emotional intelligence and better “brain prompts” help leaders move out of autopilot and into clearer, more intentional thinking?
In this episode, Dr. Justin James Kennedy speaks with Relly Nadler about leadership, coaching, emotional intelligence and the neuroscience behind better decision-making.
Relly explains why much of our behaviour runs on autopilot. The brain relies on familiar prompts, rapid responses and established patterns because they are efficient. However, when leaders remain on autopilot, they can become reactive, overwhelmed and more vulnerable to errors.
The conversation explores how better internal prompts can interrupt automatic patterns and create a gap between stimulus and response. This gap provides an opportunity to pause, reflect and choose a more intentional course of action.
Relly also introduces the Emotional Audit, a practical five-question tool that helps leaders examine what they’re thinking and feeling, clarify what they want to accomplish, recognise how they may be getting in their own way and identify what they need to do next.
In this conversation, you’ll discover:
🔹 Why the brain relies on autopilot and how this affects leadership behaviour
🔹 How better prompts can interrupt familiar patterns and reactive responses
🔹 Why slow thinking, emotional intelligence and self-awareness matter
🔹 How coaching can help people strengthen their own thinking
🔹 How to use the five questions in Relly’s Emotional Audit
🔹 Why reflective thinking may become even more important in the age of AI
Discover how learning to “mind the gap” between stimulus and response can support clearer thinking, stronger emotional intelligence and better leadership choices.
Learn more and join the npnHub community:https://npnhub.com/

How can humour, neuroscience and human connection support meaningful transformation?
In this episode, Karyn Buxman and Tina Schweiger explore how humour and neuroscience intersect to strengthen resilience, shift unhelpful patterns and bring more joy into everyday life.
The conversation examines why laughter is more than a reaction. Karyn and Tina discuss how humour can help us move out of stress patterns, quiet the inner critic and approach challenges with greater flexibility and perspective.
Through engaging stories and practical insights, they reveal how small shifts in mindset can influence the way we lead, communicate and connect with others. The episode offers accessible strategies for bringing more clarity, purpose and lightness into both professional and personal life.
In this conversation, you’ll discover:
🔹 How humour can support resilience and cognitive flexibility
🔹 The connection between joy, emotional wellbeing and human connection
🔹 Practical ways to interrupt negative thought patterns
🔹 How to quiet the inner critic and adopt a more empowered mindset
🔹 Why humour can strengthen leadership and communication
🔹 How small, intentional shifts can create meaningful change
Discover how applied neuroscience and humour can help you respond to life with greater resilience, connection and joy.
Learn more and join the npnHub community:https://npnhub.com/
Connect with Tina Schweiger:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinaschweiger/
Connect with Karyn Buxman:https://www.karynbuxman.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/KarynBuxman

How can you quiet your inner critic and create the conditions for greater flow, clarity and performance?
In this episode, Tina Schweiger and Karyn Buxman explore flow state, emotional awareness and the role curiosity and playfulness can have in supporting wellbeing and performance.
Through the lens of applied neuroscience, Tina and Karyn discuss how the inner critic can contribute to performance blocks and keep us trapped in familiar patterns. They explore how reconnecting with childlike wonder can encourage curiosity, flexibility and a more open approach to challenges.
The conversation also introduces the “Feel Method,” a practical framework for noticing and processing emotions. Tina and Karyn discuss techniques such as tapping and conscious breathing, along with the importance of creating a sense of emotional safety when approaching personal change.
In this conversation, you’ll discover:
🔹 How quieting the inner critic may support flow and performance
🔹 Why childlike wonder and curiosity can encourage flexible thinking
🔹 How greater emotional awareness can interrupt familiar patterns
🔹 What the “Feel Method” offers as an approach to processing emotions
🔹 How tapping and conscious breathing can be used as reflective practices
🔹 Why emotional safety matters when creating meaningful change
Discover how curiosity, playfulness and emotional awareness could help you respond with greater clarity, resilience and intention.
Learn more and join the npnHub community:https://npnhub.com/
Connect with Tina Schweiger:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinaschweiger/
Connect with Karyn Buxman:https://www.karynbuxman.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/KarynBuxman
Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer at:https://npnhub.com/podcast-disclaimer/