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The Neuroscience of Leadership: Why People Thrive Under Great Leaders

Have you ever worked for a fantastic leader? The kind who made you want to give more, even when things got tough—not because you had to, but because you wanted to?

I’ve asked hundreds of groups and thousands of leaders to describe their best and worst bosses. The answers I receive are strikingly consistent. The best leaders are supportive, trustworthy, and professional. They are genuinely interested in serving the needs of others. The worst are easy to identify. Incompetent, selfish, self-serving.

But here’s the real distinction: it’s not just about the words people use to describe them, it’s about how people feel when they’re working for them. Under outstanding leadership, people push themselves to greater heights. They stick around longer. They grow more confident in their abilities. Under poor leadership, the opposite unfolds. Energy drains. Commitment falters. Confidence shrinks.

So why does this distinction happen? Some people assume it’s about money. But in two decades of asking these questions, no one has ever said, “I worked harder for my best boss because they gave me a biggest bonus.” Never!

Others might assume that it is a simple stimulus and response—praise, rewards, recognition results in employees working harder. Sure, that plays a role, but the connection runs deeper than behavioral psychology.

The answer, I’d argue, is biological.

Leadership and the Brain

New research shows that great leaders don’t just influence behavior, they change chemical reactions in the brain.

Paul Zak’s research in the book Trust Factor makes this crystal clear. His work shows that leadership behaviors directly trigger neurological responses that determine whether people lean in or check out.

Great leaders activate the systems that drive trust, relationships, and connection. Which means leadership isn’t just about strategy, personality, or vision. It’s about literally shaping how people’s brains experience work.

(P.S. I am not a neuroscientist, but I have used the book "Trust Factor" in my Executive MBA class for years, and I believe it is a very underutilized leadership book. The executives in the class always enjoy it.)

Oxytocin and Cortisol: The Two Paths

Zak, a neuroscientist, discovered that positive leadership behaviors stimulate the release of oxytocin, often referred to as the “trust hormone.” Oxytocin builds empathy, generosity, and cooperation. It primes people to trust and support each other.

On the flip side, toxic leadership behaviors—constant stress, unpredictability, or fear—spike cortisol. Cortisol throws the brain into survival mode. Poor leaders literally put you in fight-or-flight mode. As a result, people stop collaborating. They protect themselves, shut down, and disengage. If you’ve ever had a boss who left you dreading Mondays (or Sundays, if we’re honest), you’ve felt that cortisol effect firsthand.

This isn’t metaphorical. Leaders can literally impact how people feel and perform. Check out the video to learn more about Zak’s research.

Trust: The Hidden Performance Engine

Zak calls trust the foundation of high-performance cultures. His research gives numbers to what many of us already knew:

• People in high-trust organizations are 50% more productive

• They’re 76% more engaged

• They’re 40% less likely to burn out.

It doesn’t stop at work.

Employees in high-trust environments also report higher life satisfaction, stronger personal relationships, and a deeper sense of purpose.

Think about that. Leadership behaviors influence whether people sleep well at night, recover from stress quickly, and feel connected to something larger than themselves.

What Do Great Leaders Do to Build Connection

This is where the research becomes practical. Zak breaks trust-building into eight practices, wrapped into the acronym OXYTOCIN (in my opinion, this acronym feels forced, simpler terms are in parentheses):

• Ovation (Recognition) – Recognize contributions publicly and specifically.

• eXpectation (Clarity) – Set clear, challenging goals and give ongoing feedback.

• Yield (Autonomy) – Grant autonomy so people truly own their work.

• Transfer (Job Shaping) – Empower employees to shape their jobs and self-manage.

• Openness (Transparency) – Share information broadly; uncertainty erodes trust.

• Caring (Caring) – Build genuine relationships and show empathy.

• Invest (Development) – Support both professional and personal growth.

• Natural (Authenticity) – Lead with authenticity and vulnerability.

These are important common-sense leadership actions. More importantly, when done effectively, they release oxytocin, which heightens trust and positive feelings in their team members.

Take a practice like Ovation. A generic “good job” email doesn’t shift much. But a specific recognition tied to real impact? That lights up the brain’s reward system. It doesn’t just feel nice—it creates stronger connections across the team.

Or Natural. Neuroscience shows that when leaders admit mistakes or ask for help, oxytocin spikes. Vulnerability builds trust more powerfully than perfection ever could.

The book shares specifics actions leaders can take to excel at each practice.

What to Do Now?

I don’t know about you, but I think it’s pretty remarkable that leadership can literally change the chemistry in someone’s brain. By practicing just eight simple behaviors, any leader can build trust, spark energy, and strengthen loyalty. And here’s the kicker—none of them are complicated. They’re small, doable actions that every leader has within reach.

With consistency and a little courage, these practices become second nature. And when they do, the ripple effects are unmistakable. People describe you as the leader who brought out their best. The boss they’d gladly follow again. The one who changed not just their work, but the way they experienced it. That’s the power of leadership grounded in science—and the challenge worth taking on.

Succession Planning Workshop

Recently, I held a succession planning workshop titled Succession Planning in the Exponential Age. You can watch a recording of the session below.

If you’re interested in learning how technological disruption will impact succession planning—and what adjustments your organization will need to make—this session is for you.

Andy Noon, PhD

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Thanks for reading and look forward to seeing you again next week.

Andy