1. Neurology of Leadership
Several years ago E. Goldratt, the author of the bestseller ‘The Goal’
infected many business consultants, including me, with the idea of ‘a viable
vision’. The genius of management worked out the methodology providing
the possibility to create a vision for the company how to turn its turnover
into profit in four years.
The methodology is absolutely logical based on real achievements of
the enterprises. I, as a business consultant, immediately understood the
emerging opportunities and enthusiastically grasped this wonderful
challenge. The sale of the idea on a world’s scale was highly successful –
business owners and managing directors promptly figured out the essence of
the proposal and agreed to undertake the projects.
1

2. However, in spite of management’s enthusiasm, the employees were
very quick to minimize its level to the ordinary ‘why should we do it?’ More
often than not they would silently sabotage the project while simultaneously
expressing a vociferous approval. The same story recurred in different
countries: Lithuania, Russia, the Netherlands, Estonia, Ukraine, England,
etc., i.e. in the countries with different consultants. Only very few projects
were followed by their successful implementation. In one European project a
well-known motivator was hired, however, the enthusiasm created would
last only a few days. The offered handsome bonuses or division schemes of
financial results were of little help. Finally, in one company we managed to
achieve the expected result, but it was obtained only when four consultants
took to directly manage the four main processes (i.e. they became managers,
not consultants), and the business owner not only managed the project in
person, but also became one of the main sellers.
2

3. Then the question for numerous consultants and managers, including me,
arose: why is it so difficult to involve the employees into a rapid
improvement of the company’s activity, even though they are guaranteed
generous bonuses for each stage of the achieved result?
The picture is showing the managerial point of view.
(REX I. M.K. Ciurlionis)
And the following is the answer which I have found, the answer based
on neurological research:
It is the too ambitious goals which paralyze the employees. These
ambitious goals nearly ‘switch off’ their brain!
3

4. Here one of R. Branson’s ideas might be relevant: “Whatever your
goal, you will never reach it, unless you get rid of your fears and start a
flight”. (‘Naked Business’)
So, what happens to a human brain when he is shown a goal shining at
the top? For most people, about 90 percent, a part of the brain, so-called
‘almond body’, (Lat. amygdala), is activated. This is the part which in the
case of threat is responsible for the reaction ‘fight-or-flight’. The activated
almond body tends to block the prefrontal cortex area of the forehead
responsible for thinking and which controls such high level creative
functions as decision making and search for opportunities. This phenomenon
was proved by brain scanning. The more activated the amygdala lights up,
the less the prefrontal cortex does. The research proved once again that the
belief that fears is the greatest stimulus for change is but a myth! Fear
among the employees tends to stimulate resistance to change rather than
change itself. The managers, who choose to keep their employees in fear,
have to reconsider their attitudes. Again, according to R. Branson, “if you
want to do something properly, you have to plan and to prepare”. Therefore,
I propose to carry out a simple research – give a task for your employees to
climb the Mont Blanc peak. How many of them will agree? How many will
4

5. agree to watch from a distance? And how many will refuse to even
approach? The same will happen to too ambitious business goals.
Most employees’ point of view – we are to small to climb!
(REX II. M.K. Ciurlionis)
If so, then the ideas by J.Collins and J.Porras described in the book ‘Built
to Last’ have to be reconsidered. The authors maintain that at the beginning
one needs ‘to gather all passengers into the bus’. Then they will decide on
the destination, i.e. create ambitious ‘hairy’ goals.
5

6. To turn the task into a viable one, it is necessary to select people, the
prefrontal cortex of whom, viewing the shining peaks, is not blocked, but,
rather, is activated. The people like this account for about 10 percent, who,
in the case of trouble, come to save their associates.
For the majority of employees, however, the Japanese methodology can
be applied. The Japanese do not display the company’s ambitious goals or
even the day’s goals to their employees, but, rather, only the current tasks.
(REX III. M.K. Ciurlionis)
6

7. They are allowed to see the success of their day’s efforts only at the
end of their working day.
I would like to finish with R. Branson’s words: ‘ I never say “ I cannot do
this, because I do not know how. I am going to discuss it with other people, I
am going to study this, and I will find the way to do it. To watch, to listen, to
learn – these are the things one has to do all his life, not only while at
school”.
I am inviting you to read, to learn, to search together.
Darius Radkevicius
darius@goodstream.eu
An Author of book "God, Quantum Physics, Organizational Structure and
Management Style"
7