Scott Halford | Pt. 1: The Neuroscience of Storytelling and Leadership

The human brain is wired to focus far more on dangers than on positive information. This is a reality business leaders navigate every day, as they work to be intentional, clear and engaging in their communications. It’s also where Scott Halford can help. Scott sees effective storytelling as a key part of leadership, and he believes that with deeper knowledge of neuroscience, we can get a lot better at both.    

Scott is an internationally renowned keynote speaker, educator and advisor. He works worldwide to educate audiences about emotional intelligence, the neuroscience of achievement, effective performance and the success we create when we understand the intricacies of human interaction. He’s the author of the bestselling books Be a Shortcut and Activate Your Brain.

Scott has been telling stories throughout his career — first as an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer and then as a professional speaker. He’s recognized as a Certified Speaking Professional by the National Speakers Association, and in 2014, the group inducted him into the NSA Speaker Hall of Fame.

Scott holds an executive master’s degree from the NeuroLeadership Institute and is the president of SG Halford, Inc.

Learn about:  

4:19 - How storytelling triggers positive brain chemicals to induce certain feelings

6:10 - The neurochemicals to focus on when delivering a story or speech

8:55 - Applying a storytelling lens to business contexts

11:56 - How inspiration moves us better than motivation alone

20:29 - Leading and communicating with teams through downturns and uncertainty

22:50 - Dealing with lack of control through a neuroscience lens                            

30:53 - The personal goal Scott believes should be every leader’s holy grail

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Let Go & Lead is a leadership community created by Maril MacDonald, CEO and founder of Gagen MacDonald, more than a decade ago. It explores how leaders inspire change and transformation in an environment in which they possess diminishing control.

The Let Go & Lead conversation series has existed in several iterations, from video interviews to its current form as a podcast, now in season 4. Over the years, Maril has conducted more than 70 interviews with business leaders, academics and creative thinkers, including former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, best-selling authors Mitch Albom and Dan Pink, Hyatt CHRO Malaika Myers and American Medical Association CEO James Madara. At its core, Let Go & Lead remains a place where people can access a diversity of perspectives on interdisciplinary approaches to leadership

Full episodes also available on: 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-go-lead-with-maril-macdonald/id1454869525 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Gaf7JXOckZMtkpsMtnjAj?si=WZjZkvfLTX2T4eaeB1PO2A   

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9sZXRnb2xlYWQubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/let-go-lead 

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Gagen MacDonald is a strategy execution consulting firm that specializes in employee engagement, culture change and leadership development. Learn more at http://www.gagenmacdonald.com.