Neuroscience, consciousness, and leadershipNeuroscience, consciousness, and leadership
All In The Mind
The recent revolution in technology allows us to peer into the mind as never before—says Dr. Hannah Critchlow. She’s explored what neuroscience can tell us about consciousness, free will, and fate. she’s also investigated the neuroscience leadership to build a more ethical, altruistic work environment.
28:52•9 Dec 2018
Wired Brains, Real Choices: Neuroscience, Addiction and Ethical Leadership
Episode Overview
- Brain wiring is shaped by genetics, early experience and epigenetics, so many behaviours are strongly influenced by biology yet still show some flexibility.
- The brain’s reward pathway underlies both healthy motivation and drug addiction, helping explain why substances can become so compelling.
- Habits such as exercise, sleep, social contact and reflective thinking support brain plasticity, creativity and resilience for everyone, including leaders.
- Emerging approaches like deep brain stimulation and psychedelics are being studied for conditions such as addiction, depression and PTSD, but require caution and more research.
- Smart drugs and microdosing are on the rise in academic and work settings, yet their long-term effects and fairness of access remain serious concerns.
“"A lot of our behaviours are very much biologically ingrained."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety when so much of behaviour is wired into the brain? This conversation on All In The Mind gives a gripping tour of neuroscience that’s directly relevant if you’re curious why cravings, habits and even leadership styles can feel so hard to shift.
Neuroscientist Dr Hannah Critchlow chats with host Lynne Malcolm about how our “connectome” – the brain’s vast network of around 100 trillion connections – shapes perception, decision-making and behaviour. She explains that genes, early life experience and even epigenetics all nudge us in certain directions, meaning “a lot of our behaviours are very much biologically ingrained.” That idea can sound daunting if you’re in recovery, yet Critchlow keeps circling back to plasticity: the brain can and does change.
You’ll hear how reward pathways in the brain drive us towards food, sex and social connection, but also make drugs of abuse so compulsive. Critchlow shares emerging work on deep brain stimulation and psychedelics being used to interrupt rigid patterns in conditions such as addiction, depression and PTSD, hinting at future treatment possibilities rather than quick fixes. The episode also looks at leadership and mental health in pressured workplaces.
Critchlow talks about brainwaves linked to creativity, why sleep, exercise, social contact and meaningful conversation help keep the brain flexible, and how fear can push societies towards more rigid, conservative thinking. She’s wary of smart drugs and microdosing trends, stressing that long-term effects on healthy, still-developing brains are unknown.
Threaded through the science is Critchlow’s time working on a neuropsychiatric ward with heavily medicated young people, which fuels her hope that better brain science can lead to more humane, targeted care. If you’ve ever wondered whether change is truly possible, or how much of your behaviour is "you" versus your wiring, this episode will leave you with plenty to ponder.
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