The Leadership Brain: Why Your Most Powerful Business Asset Isn’t What You Think

Picture this: It’s Monday morning, and you’re already juggling three urgent emails, two team crises, and that presentation you need to nail by lunchtime. Your fancy productivity app is pinging away, your state-of-the-art laptop is humming, and your premium coffee machine is working overtime. But what if I told you that none of these is your most valuable business asset?

As someone who’s developed a somewhat questionable habit of seeking out adrenaline-pumping adventures — from parachuting out of perfectly good airplanes to looping the loop in light aircraft, scuba-diving with curious sharks in the Caribbean, and galloping across cross-country courses on horseback (often while questioning my life choices) — I’ve learned something fascinating about human potential and performance.

Most of us are using our most powerful tool — our brain — about as effectively as a chocolate teapot at a summer garden party.

The Cognitive Revolution in Business

Through my work across seven countries, I’ve observed a peculiar paradox: in an era where we optimise everything from our supply chains to our social media presence, we’re surprisingly casual about optimising our cognitive performance. It’s like having a Formula 1 car but never taking it out of…