Roundtable #18: Neuroscience in Leadership
In October, the Business Collaborative for Brain Health met to discuss the role that neuroscience plays in business and leadership by boosting social connection and building resilient minds that are able to address the challenges of tomorrow.
Featured speaker for this roundtable:
Dr. Michael Platt is a prominent neuroscientist, James S. Riepe University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative. He specializes in applying brain science to business, leadership, and human decision-making.
His latest book, The Leader’s Brain: Unlock Peak Performance in Work and Life Through Neuroscience, expands on this work and offers science-backed strategies for leading with empathy, adaptability, and purpose.
Key Takeaways
Social Connection Is a Workplace Superpower
Social connection is a “low-cost, high-return” investment with workplace relationships proven to boost retention and trust across teams.
The Social Brain Network: Understanding How We Relate
Each of us carries within our brain a specialized “social network” responsible for empathy, collaboration, and communication.
This network strengthens with use similar to how we build up a muscle. The more we interact meaningfully, the more capable we become at reading emotions, understanding perspectives, and cultivating trust.
Leaders can “exercise” this part of the brain by engaging in authentic dialogue, expressing curiosity, and creating psychologically safe spaces for employees to share ideas and concerns.
McKinsey Health Institute, 2025
Perspective-Taking Builds Empathy and Innovation
Dr. Platt emphasized that empathy and perspective-taking are key leadership skills that can be trained and strengthened.
Practicing perspective-taking activates neural regions that enable leaders to see the world through others’ eyes—leading to more creative, inclusive, and effective decision making.
Simple daily habits, such as reflecting on interactions and intentionally imagining another person’s viewpoint, can physically strengthen the brain’s empathy centers over time.
Synchrony: The Science of Team Chemistry
Neuroscience shows that when teams are “in sync”—literally thinking and feeling in alignment—their brain waves mirror one another. This synchrony predicts stronger communication, greater psychological safety, and higher collective performance.
Leaders can foster synchrony by creating space for authentic conversations and opportunities for vulnerability.
Even virtual teams can build alignment through intentional design of meetings, breaks, and collaboration patterns.
Resilience in an Era of Change
As technology, particularly AI, reshapes the workplace, Dr. Platt highlighted the need for leaders to double down on what makes us most human.
Stress and uncertainty trigger the same neural systems that drive social connection, which means when leaders and employees focus on empathy and belonging when under pressure, we enhance our mental resilience.
His research on social animals—including primates—demonstrates that connection literally saves lives. After traumatic events, those who invest in social bonds show stronger recovery, lower stress markers, and longer lifespans.
Dr. Platt reminded attendees that while technology evolves at a breakneck pace, human biology remains largely unchanged. Our “Stone Age brains” are wired for connection, purpose, and belonging—needs that modern workplaces often neglect. By leveraging neuroscience, leaders can design cultures that align with these biological truths: fostering trust, rhythm, and recovery, rather than overload and isolation.
Progress to Date
Education and Practice: Organizations are beginning to integrate applied neuroscience into leadership development and executive education, particularly in areas of empathy, decision-making, and innovation.
Team Dynamics: New research on physiological synchrony and “brain alignment” offers measurable ways to understand team performance and psychological safety.
Hybrid Work Insights: Studies from Wharton and Microsoft demonstrate that intentional breaks and face-to-face interactions help counteract “Zoom fatigue” and support creative thinking.
Culture Shift: Companies that prioritize connection and well-being are outperforming peers in engagement, retention, and profitability—making the business case for brain-based leadership clear.
“If you want to be a better leader, be a better human”” - Dr. Michael Platt