13: Care for Our Brains to Make Better Decisions

Our brain is an organ that makes decisions. When we neglect our decision-making organ, we make subpar decisions. This is similar to why we take care of our cars. If we fail to do so, our car may break down on the road or we may lose control, causing it to run into ditches. To make wise decisions, leaders must take care of their decision-making organs – their brains. More importantly, it is insufficient for leaders to focus solely on their own brains. Leaders must also take care of the brains of their team members. Each organizational member is akin to a neuron in the human brain. Organizational members receive and process information before deciding whether to send it to the next neuron. One organizational member may relay one piece of information to the next, but another member, for whatever reasons, may decide to withhold the information. In this case, leaders are not the only members of great importance in an organization. Rather, each organizational member performs their duties in an organization, just as each neuron performs its function in the human brain. This chapter introduces five ways that leaders can follow to maintain optimal brain health: food for thought, physical exercise, cognitive stimulation, social engagement, and stress management.