My work involves explaining how the brain works to leaders. It never fails to amaze me how intrigued leaders get when they understand the specifics of the brain.

We are all unique. BUT the complexities that make us unique are built on an operating system that is designed to function in a certain way. The design is a little old, millions of years old to be specific.

But it serves a crucial purpose – to keep us safe and alive. We have inherited this brain from our forefathers whose primary enemy or threat was the sabertooth tiger.

Our brain spends every waking moment of our day keeping us safe. And it does this by scanning our ‘environment’ for threats. It looks for rewards too, but the greater emphasis is placed on threat.

Thankfully, the sabertooth tiger no longer exists but we have a modern-day equivalent of the sabertooth tiger. And that’s what I would like to focus on today, the type of modern-day threats and I give you a life and work example for each:

Real

Threat exists and is not imagined.

Life: When I cycle in the jungle, almost always I see snakes. I don’t like them, and I see them as a threat. And here’s the thing, almost always they ‘feel’ my presence and leave. I have only had a couple of close encounters.   

Work: Giving a presentation to the board of directors for the first time is an example of a real threat. If we feel ill-prepared for the presentation this can increase the threat we feel.

Perceived

Imagined threats.

Life: I have friends who will not join me for a walk in the jungle because of the possibility of encountering a snake or being bitten by a leech. Their preconceptions stop them from participating in any adventure that may put them in ‘harm’s’ way.

Work: Giving a presentation to the board of directors for the second time WHEN your first one did not go so well. You imagine a bad outcome based on your first experience.

Physical

Threat to the person.

Life: I crash at times when mountain biking and most times I get away with bruises. There have been occasions when I have had a physical injury that required more attention. I have had to apply topical creams to keep bacteria and swelling at bay.

Work: I will use the Boeing example here. If you have been following the inquiry you will know that some of the whistleblower’s lives were threatened. They felt unsafe and had to take precautions to stay safe.

Social

Threat to the identity, values, and/or beliefs.

Life: I like endurance cycling because it is about pace. It’s more a marathon than a sprint. Which is why I prefer cycling with my husband. We keep to our own pace. There are occasions when I ride with our group of friends and feel ‘pressured’ (self-inflicted by the way) to ‘keep up’ with them often getting me off my rhythm. Not fun.

Work: Being told in front of others at the board meeting that you were ill-prepared and that your presentation could have been better. It can impact your identity and cause you ‘pain’ just as a physical threat.

A key fact to note here is that the brain does not differentiate between physical and social threats. Taking a painkiller for the ‘pain’ from experiencing a social threat works just the same as taking a painkiller for a physical injury.

To the brain, physical or social ‘pain’ is the SAME!

Social threats are the key threat in the corporate world. How we behave is based on the implications of the social threats ‘present’ in our environment.

And here’s some neuroscience trivia. 95% of our actions are done unconsciously and they are ‘managed’ by our operating system. This is why change can be hard. It takes conscious effort to repurpose our unconscious actions to effect change!

As always, you can reach me at yoga@yoganesadurai.com