Chicken soup for the soul …

20 years ago, most people were employed for their hands (“factory hands”). Now it’s brains and personality (“talent”) that people are valued for.

It’s been said that the brain is “arguably the most complicated and astonishing organ in the body, and functions as the master organ, regulating all of the other organs.” It also operates as the pharmacy and mixes up concoctions instantaneously in response to our thoughts.

Consider a couple taking a ride in a roller coaster. For one, it might be euphoric and the pharmacy will dispense a powerful anti-cancer drug. For the other, the experience might be very scary and the pharmacy concocts a very toxic substance.

What has this got to do with leadership you might well ask?

The reality is that human beings are emotional creatures and their behaviours are affected greatly by what’s going on in their internal pharmacy. Overlay the impact of an over-controlling boss, or uncertainty arising from the arrival of a new CEO and consequential restructuring with Big Things happening with family. Especially if a loved one at home faces a life threatening disease and an elder requires special attention, all at the same time.

The job of the leader, like the modern pharmacist, is becoming more complex. Not only do we need to factor in personality preferences, but in the ever increasing speed and complexity of life, we need to interpret changes in behaviour (some greatly affected by the interactions between the drugs dispensed in the pharmacy down the road, and the one located between the ears).

And of course, CEOs and senior leaders are not immune from neuropsychological mood swings either. That’s why the best leaders have great followers – ones that support them during the inevitable ups and downs of life.

When we notice unusual behaviour it’s well to remember the pharmacy metaphor and apply a remedial solution that comforts, supports and settles emotions. The impact can be astonishing.

As we slip into winter, the likelihood is that that colds and flu will put pressure on the multiple systems we operate in and affect emotions and behaviours as a consequence.
So it’s well to remember the lessons we can learn from neuropsychology and pharmacology and to provide some chicken soup for the soul until spring pops its head around the corner and re-engages us with a beaming smile.

I hope this seasonal greeting finds you well and serves as a gentle reminder to adapt your leadership to winter conditions.

“Humans are like eyes. They can see everyone else but not themselves”