Annual Special Education Directors Conference 2013 Leading with the Brain in Mind PJ Rooney, PhD pj.knowlton@gmail.com
Overarching Organizing Principle MINIMIZE MAXIMIZE
We crave comfort and security. We crave novelty and exploration, too. We crave calm and excitement.they are not contradictory. They are intricate, interdependent forces, working together to make what we call a life. Laurence Gonzales, Experience Seekers, November 2008
Meet Your Brain 2% body weight / 20% body s total energy usage: O2 / Glucose (sugar) Exercise central Sleep THE X factor The Divided Self ~ Right and Left ~ Old / New ~ Automatic / Controlled
Left / Right Divide
Old / New Divide Cerebral/Neo-Cortex Higher order cognitive functions making associations, problem solving, planning Emotional reactions determining reward & punishment possibilities in a situation Limbic System Amygdala specialized for emotional learning & responding Hypothalamus coordinates basic drives & motivation Hippocampus specialized for memory Reptilian Brain Involuntary/unconscious functions
Going Limbic Threat Threat Response (STRESS) Stress-mediated adaptation in limbic, ACC and PFC Heightened sensitivity to threat and stress
Controlled / Automatic Divide RIDER = 8 to 12 % of brain is within conscious awareness Thinking that takes effort Proceeds in steps Analytical Rational ELEPHANT= Automatic & Emotional Without the need for conscious control Processes run in parallel
The brain is constantly trying to automate processes, thereby dispelling them from consciousness; in this way, its work will be completed faster, more effectively and at a lower metabolic level. Consciousness, on the other hand, is slow, subject to error, and expensive. Gerhard Roth (2004)
Modern Mythology: Multi-Tasking Dual task interference = splitting your focus on more than 1 conscious mental task leads to significant decreases in performance on the tasks The truly attentive state is resource-intensive and very particular about its workload Multi-Tasking = Continuous Partial Attention
Your Plastic Brain Today's revolutionary advances in neuroscience will rival the discoveries of Copernicus, Galileo, and Darwin. Professor Paul Churchland, UCSD
1. Our brains can flex, adapt, grow
Your brain was constructed to change. Professor Michael Merzenich, UCSF
2. The brain hardwires everything it can
3. Our hardwiring drives automatic perception Prediction is not just one of the things your brain does. It is the primary function of the neo-cortex, and the foundation of intelligence. Jeff Hawkins (2004)
4. The brain is a connection machine
Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz & Sharon Begley (2002) 5. It s practically impossible to deconstruct our wiring Connections that are used become stronger, even permanent elements of the neural circuitry.
6. With attention & effort, we can create NEW wiring Whenever you read a book or have a conversation, the experience causes physical changes in your brain. Greg Johnson (1991)
7. Up close No two brains are alike
There are more possible ways to connect the brain s neurons than there are atoms in the universe. Dr. John Ratey, A User s Guide to the Brain
Social & Emotional First, Analytical Second Status Certainty Autonomy Relatedness Fairness David Rock, NeuroLeadership Journal, 2008
Where you stand in the social hierarchy - on the social ladder - is intimately related to your chances of getting ill, and the length of your life. Dr. Michael Marmot, The Status Syndrome
Even a small amout of uncertainty generates an error response in the orbital front cortex. This takes attention away from one s goals, forcing attention to the error Large uncertainties, like not knowing your boss expectations or if your job is secure can be highly debilitating. Hedden & Gabrielli, Nature Neuroscience, 2006; Rock, NeuroLeadership Journal, 2008
Certainty Uncertainty alerts my Limbic system which activates my stress response which decreases my problem solving and decisionmaking ability which causes me more stress which drives my desire for more certainty so I ll create my own and resist your change
Autonomy The loss of prefrontal function only occurs when we feel out of control. It s the prefrontal cortex itself that is determining if we are in control or not. Even if we have the illusion that we are in control, our cognitive functions are preserved. Amy Arnsten, Professor of Neurobiology, Yale Medical School A feeling of having a choice dramatically decreases stress levels
We crave comfort and security. We crave novelty and exploration, too. We crave calm and excitement.they are not contradictory. They are intricate, interdependent forces, working together to make what we call a life. Laurence Gonzales, Experience Seekers, November 2008
Cognitive Fitness Novelty Sleep Exercise Nutrition
Lack of Sleep Diminished Attention Concentration Reaction Time Decisionmaking Memory Motivation Creativity Emotional Regulation Relationship Increased Depression Irritability Anxiety Impulsiveness Appetite Smoking Sedentary behavior
The first part of your brain than turns off with sleep deprivation is the little part that says, I m not performing so well. Dr. Robert Stickgold, Harvard Medical School
Napping 16 minutes (really 10-25) Set Alarm Lie Down Between 1 and 3pm
Sleep Challenge Try for one week to sleep 7-8 hours a night and note what changes Try a 16 minute refresher during the noon- 2:30 period for multiple days and note what changes
The reality is, we re not paid by the hour as leaders. We re paid for creativity and innovation. It s not about the amount of hours, it s about the passion, enthusiasm, and quality of our ideas. And that quality is directly impacted by how we take care of ourselves. Dan Cathy, President, Chick-fil-A
Leadership & Sleep To be truly and fully effective, the vigilant leader must also focus attention on personal wellness. Central to the wellness puzzle and far too often overlooked by overwhelmed executives is sleep. Keswick Sleep Institute
Exercise for Cognitive Fitness A five-year study at the Laval University in Sainte-Foy, Quebec determined that inactive individuals were twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's, compared to those with the highest levels of activity (exercised vigorously at least three times a week). But even light or moderate exercisers cut their risk significantly for Alzheimer's and mental decline. (Archives of Neurology, March 2001 )
Exercise for Cognitive Fitness German researchers found that people learn vocabulary words 20% faster following exercise than they did before they exercise. (Ratey, 2008)
Exercise & Memory Participants aged late 50s-80s Brisk walking, 40 minutes, 3 x Week Hippocampus increase of 2% Non-exercise group DECREASE 1.5% Brown University, 2011