Intelligence is criticalin leadership

Attentional

LINDA RAY

A 3rd Intelligence – the key intelligencecritical to leadership success

We all know how important emotional and social intelligences are for leadership

success. And you’ve probably experienced rst-hand at some time what it is like

to work under or alongside someone with low emotional or social intelligence,

and how challenging that can be. Leaders who lack self-awareness and empathy

negatively impact upon our engagement, our motivation and even our health!

But we believe there is a critical 3rd intelligence that is required if we are going to

build the workforce capabilities required by 2020 and beyond.

Attentional Intelligence is critical in leadership

Attentional Intelligence is critical inleadership

Whilst some people are cottoning onto the idea there might be another important

3rd intelligence it is still not featuring in leadership development programs or key

competencies.

My own struggle with focus and attention led me to the conclusion that there isthere is

a crucial intelligence which is critical to leadership success. a crucial intelligence which is critical to leadership success.

I call this ‘Attentional Intelligence’ (AI)‘Attentional Intelligence’ (AI) a term I coined in 2012, and which I

believe is THETHE third intelligence critical to leadership success

Attentional Intelligence™ is ‘an intelligence that when highly developed allowsyou to effortlessly but ‘mindfully’ notice where your attention is at any momentand to intentionally decide where you want it to be’.

You can view this Youtube video I did in 2013 which explains the components ofAttentional Intelligence™

Attentional Intelligence is critical in leadership

Attention is a limited resource

We live in an unprecedented time of busyness, and it is leading to overwhelm,

overload and rising stress in many of our workers and now even showing in

young people. Our attention is a limited resource, yet we are constantly working

in environments or in ways that treat it as though it is unlimited.

We are pushed to work harder and longer and then wonder why we feel brain

dead before lunch time or by the afternoon we are craving that sugary ‘hit’.

The growth in technology required to complete of ce tasks is constantly

changing and evolving, requiring constant and regular training just to stay-up-to-

date in our roles.

Attentional Intelligence is critical in leadership

Is your brain exhausted?

Our attention is constantly seduced by an ever-evolving digital world that

constantly interrupts and vies for our attention, and as we are biologically

programmed to notice any novelty, our limited attention is being increasingly

consumed by our digital devices.

Our brains are exhausted!

All this task-switching, constantly and rapidly, without downtime is creating

exhausted brains. If you have an exhausted brain you don’t make good decisions,

can’t innovate or find solutions to challenges and inevitably means you miss

important cues from your interactions with others that may support you to

access your Emotional or Social Intelligence.

Attentional Intelligence is critical in leadership

Are you in the driver seat of your brain?

As a result, mindfulness/meditation programs have become a billion-dollar

business with many companies investing in their people by putting them through

such programs. And for good reason, there’s lots of research which provides

evidence about the bene ts of mindfulness and meditation. It is absolutely a

practice that supports us in managing our stress and overwhelm and I believe

important in supporting us to build our Attentional Intelligence, but this

intelligence is about so much more than nding a quiet room to undertake a quiet

mid-day meditation break. It’s simply treating the symptom… not the cause.

Are you in the driver seat of your brain?We need to get back in the driver seat of our attention and regain control of it all

day, not just in moments where we remember to engage in a mindfulness activity.

In essence, we need to understand how the brain works so our productivity is

harnessed – not hampered.

Attentional Intelligence is critical in leadership

Attentional Intelligence is critical inleadership

When we started delivering our Diploma of Neuroscience of Leadership program

over six years ago, we already knew the importance of Attentional Intelligence.

Throughout this series, we will share why we believe this is a 3rd intelligence is a

game-changer for today’s leaders and our leaders of tomorrow.

This topic is the first in our blog series, in which we will explain the 3rd

Intelligence ‘Attentional Intelligence’ – a key component of our Human-Centred

Brain-Based Leadership Model.

COMING IN 2018

Attentional Intelligence is critical in leadership

Attentional Intelligence is critical inleadership

NeuroCapability are a forward-thinking and passionate team that thrive

on helping people to harness the power of their most important asset -

their brain.

Using our human-centred brain-based leadership model, we train, support

and mentor leaders to build psychological safety in their organisations.

From our agship program, the Neuroscience of Leadership to our team

building BrainBites, we work with individuals and organisations

throughout the world to build cultures of psychological safety.

www.neurocapability.com.auwww.neurocapability.com.au

Attentional Intelligence is critical in leadership