Inside out leadership - huh?

The Maverick Paradox Podcast

In this episode Judith Germain speaks to Steve Scanlon about his concept of "inside-out leadership" and how he applies neuroscience principles in his coaching practice.

Key Takeaways

• Inside-out leadership focuses on internal motivation and self-awareness rather than external factors
• Metacognition (thinking about one's thinking patterns) is a key practice for developing self-awareness and agency over mindset
• Naming emotions without judgment allows you to "tame" them rather than resist them
• The Pixar film "Inside Out" provides insightful metaphors for understanding emotions and the mind

Topics Inside-Out Leadership

• Contrasts internal vs. external motivation - leadership should come from within, not just external rewards
• Despite much research on leadership, many leaders struggle to embody leadership principles internally
• Requires the hard "work" of self-reflection and change from the inside-out

Metacognition

• Awareness and understanding of one's thought patterns
• A practice of non-judgmentally observing thoughts and emotions as they arise
• Allows you to "name" and therefore "tame" emotions rather than resist them
• Curiosity about thoughts/emotions is key, not judgment

Neuroscience Insights

• Pixar's "Inside Out" provides apt metaphors for the mind and emotions
• "If you can name it, you can tame it" - naming emotions defuses their power
• "What you resist, persists" - resisting emotions makes them cling longer

In this conversation Steve explains the practice of metacognition - being aware of one's own thought patterns without judgment. He discusses how this can give people more agency over their mindset and emotional responses, using examples like noticing feelings of anxiety.

Judith and Steve discuss how they each apply neuroscience principles, like understanding brain chemistry and neuroplasticity, to help people improve their self-awareness and mindset. They emphasise the importance of making neuroscience concepts practical and actionable.

Steve Scanlon is the founder and CEO of Rewire, Inc an a self-proclaimed neuroscience geek. His goal is to help leaders in transform themselves and their teams through a greater understanding of the science behind how the brain manages change.

You can find out more about our guest and today's episode in this Maverick Paradox Magazine article here.

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Maverick leadership is all about thinking outside the box and challenging the status quo. It's about having the courage to take risks and the confidence to lead in a way that is authentic and genuine.

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How Influential Are you? Take the scorecard at amplifyyourinfluence.scoreapp.com and see.

Catalysing Transformation - 1 min video

Judith's book: The Maverick Paradox: The Secret Power Behind Successful Leaders.

Judith's websites:

• The Maverick Paradox Magazine - themaverickparadox.com
• The Maverick Paradox Website - maverickparadox.co.uk

Judith's LinkedIn profile is here, her Twitter profile (MaverickMastery) is here, Facebook here and Instagram here.