Neuroscience and Leaders' Decision-Making

Understanding the Neural Foundations of Decision-Making in Organizations

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Course Overview

This course examines the intersection of neuroscience and decision-making in leadership contexts. Students will explore how brain structure, function, and neurochemistry influence decision-making in leadership and organizational context. The course integrates contemporary neuroscientific research with practical applications for leaders. Through systematic examination of neural mechanisms, students will develop a scientific understanding of how stress, emotion, social cognition, and executive functions shape decision-making processes in organizations.

Course Modules

Module 1
Orientation to the Brain in Leadership
Introduction to neuroanatomy, brain systems, and their relevance to leadership and decision-making processes.
Module 2
Neurons, Synapses, and Neural Networks
Foundational principles of neural communication, synaptic transmission, and network organization.
Module 3
Functional Anatomy: PFC, Amygdala, Striatum
Key brain regions involved in executive control, emotional processing, and reward systems.
Module 4
Neurochemistry Primer: Transmitters & Hormones
Neurotransmitter systems and hormonal influences on cognition, emotion, and behavior.
Module 5
Stress & the HPA Axis: Cortisol and Decision Fatigue
Stress response systems and their impact on cognitive performance and decision quality.
Module 6
Reward & Motivation: Dopamine, Prediction Error
Neural mechanisms of motivation, reward processing, and their implications for leadership behavior.
Module 7
Emotion and Threat Processing: The Amygdala Loop
Emotional influences on decision-making and threat detection systems in the brain.
Module 8
Executive Control: Working Memory and Self-Regulation
Cognitive control systems and their role in strategic thinking and behavioral regulation.
Module 9
The Social Brain: Empathy, Trust, Oxytocin, Serotonin
Neural substrates of social cognition and interpersonal leadership processes.
Module 10
Biases and Heuristics: Neural Roots of Framing Effects
Cognitive biases, mental shortcuts, and their neurobiological foundations in decision-making.
Module 11
Lifespan Plasticity: Development, Aging, Neuro-hacks
Neuroplasticity across the lifespan and interventions for enhancing cognitive performance.
Module 12
Imaging Toolkit: fMRI, PET—Strengths and Limits
Neuroimaging methodologies, data interpretation, and limitations in research applications.
Module 13
Physiological Toolkit: EEG, HRV, Salivary Biomarkers
Non-invasive assessment methods for measuring neural and physiological indicators.
Module 14
Leadership Capstone: Cases, Simulations, Self-Audit
Integration of course concepts through case studies, decision simulations, and personal assessment.