How To Unleash Awesome Humans? The Leadership Experience…

One of our foundational trainings at Inseus is called The Leadership Experience. So, you may be wondering… what is it and what happens there?  

Put simply, it’s a space for individuals and organizations to connect more authentically. It’s a space to learn, unlearn, and relearn. It’s a space to grow through “ah-ha” moments that unleash more aware humans. It’s a space to recognize that we are all in this together. And it’s a space that transforms lives and empowers the leader within.  

Today, I want to share a moment of levity and inspiration that happened last month when we kicked off our latest Leadership Experience program. Our first module, Growing the Leader Within, unfolds with content learning and corresponding evidence-based practices around the topics of self-awareness and managing emotions. In it, we dive into the neurobiology of the stress reactivity cycle—which is hardwired in all of us—to better understand if, where, and how we might be able to shift from reactivity to a wiser, more emotionally intelligent response.  

Personal, real-time examples are always the best, if someone in the group is willing to open up about what stress looks like for them. Last week, one committed soul, Ryan, shared a personal story for the whole group to work with as we were exploring what the Stress Reactivity Cycle looks, feels, and sounds like. His example comes from the NFL and graciously, Ryan has given his approval for me to re-share his example. Thanks Ryan!

What happens for Ryan on game day when his beloved Jets play football? 

He gets ready with his Jets jersey on and remote in hand. The pregame starts and he immediately notices a felt sensation of anticipation and anxiety. This presents as heat in his body, tense limbs, a rapid heart rate, and sometimes, even, a pit in his stomach. This is what happens when the sympathetic nervous system—or the body’s gas pedal—is in activation mode. 

Then the game starts and the Jets are not doing well. Oh no! An interception. BOOM! His automatic, bodily response is UNLEASHED and the TV remote is hurled across the room. He can’t see straight, his heart feels like it’s trying to jump out of his body, and his blood pressure is at DEFCON 4. He’s yelling all kinds of verbal abuse at the TV. He even starts to mentally blame his Dad for passing on his love of the Jets… and on and on. 

What’s happening in the brain and body?  

The Stress Reactivity Cycle

The amygdala, which is the emotional, ancient, alarm bell of the brain, has been hijacked. Why do we call it a hijack? Because the amygdala—which ironically is just a small bi-lateral structure in the brain’s limbic system—has the capacity to shut down all other brain parts to attend to the threat at hand. What’s the threat in this case? The JETS ARE STINKING IT UP ON THE FIELD! 

Neuroscientists know that threats can be real or perceived and, unfortunately, the brain makes no distinction in the heat of the moment. It takes time for that distinction to be realized. So no matter if a threat is real or perceived, a series of bodily domino effects happen. A chemical cocktail of hormones surges through the body and activates the nervous system, creating intense physical sensations, negative thoughts, and autopilot reactivity. When we’re in reactivity mode, we default to conditional habits and biases, which can even turn into maladaptive coping mechanisms. And, in reactivity mode, we circle right back to the original stressor—without interrupting the cycle or making any kind of meaningful shift from reactivity to wise response.  

The Stress Response Cycle

So, how do we shift from reactivity to response?

Neuroplasticity teaches us that whatever we practice, again and again, becomes our go-to behavior. So after exploring the stress reactivity cycle, we spent time exploring practical, accessible ways to interrupt, diffuse, & shift to a more intentional response. In fact, Ryan proudly shared with me today that the following Sunday when the Jets played the Broncos, he was able to deploy the practices & strategies we learned together. Good news! He did NOT throw the remote at the TV this time, and enjoyed game day a bit more. Tiny steps, big gains. What we practice grows stronger!  

When we don’t interrupt the cycle, we often create new, additional stressors. Thankfully, this did not happen in Ryan’s case, but one can imagine… Perhaps the TV remote breaks when hurled. Perhaps you snap at a loved one in the midst of the game. Perhaps this reactivity leads to a fist-fight in the stadium or at a bar. You get the picture. And, we have all experienced some version of the Stress Reactivity Cycle in our lives. The question we can always be asking ourselves is, “What skill can I use to shift from reactivity to response?” 

So there’s your sneak peek at The Leadership Experience… a year-long program that builds a culture of highly engaged, connected, self-aware, collaborative, and successful teams. This program shines the light of awareness on our humanness and invites us to grow the leader within, boost impact, communicate effectively, and foster trust in order to create an environment where everyone can thrive.  

Learning from each other, creating a brave space, and growing as human beings is fun, rich, and rewarding. To say it is inspiring is an understatement. Our Leadership Experience cohorts leave me with hope, a sense of awe, and feeling very alive.  

If you’re into the mechanics, curriculum, outcomes, and logistics of the Leadership Experience program, please click here to learn more. And if you have further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at ashely@inseus.com - I’d love to continue the conversation!  

Mindfully yours, 
Ashley