044: The Science of ‘Stuck’ in Leadership with Britt Frank

Evolve: A New Era of Leadership

In this episode, I had the privilege of chatting with Britt Frank, the author of 'The Science of Stuck', where we delved into the intricacies of navigating stress, anxiety, and trauma.

It’s crucial as leaders to understand exactly how and why members on our teams feel stuck, which most often relates back to trauma in some way, shape or form.

Britt shares the profound circumstances that prompted her to write her book, and the ways in which we as people leaders can understand anxiety better. Getting into the nitty gritty and understanding the root cause is a powerful key in unlocking the potential of those around us.

Britt sheds light on the significance of comprehending trauma, emotional regulation, and neuroscience for enhancing both leadership abilities and personal well-being. We explored various aspects of mental health, including anxiety, stress management, self-leadership, and the intriguing concept of 'micro yeses'.

Drawing parallels with car analogies, we discussed the gas pedal (sympathetic nervous system), brake pedal (parasympathetic system), and emergency brake (overactive fight-flight response) as tools for understanding and regulating our nervous system.

Britt's insights into developing shadow intelligence alongside emotional intelligence and intelligence quotient offer valuable strategies for managing unresolved trauma or what she aptly terms 'brain indigestion'. Dive into this episode to gain profound knowledge on enhancing leadership and personal well-being through the lens of neuroscience and emotional regulation.

Britt Frank, LSCSW, SEP is a licensed neuropsychotherapist and author of The Science of Stuck (Penguin Random House), named by SHRM, Esquire, New York Magazine, and The Next Big Idea Club as a must-read.

Britt received her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her master’s degree from the University of Kansas, where she later became an award-winning adjunct instructor. Britt is a contributing writer to Psychology Today and her work has been featured in Forbes, NPR, Fast Company, Psych Central, SELF, and Thrive Global. We talk about:

• [0:00] Intro

• [3:05] Why she wrote this book and how she came up with the title

• [8:35] How we need to understand anxiety better

• [13:30] The impact of procrastination

• [15:30] What does a survival response mean and where do we want to shift

• [19:20] Regulation and the ‘emergency brake’

• [24:30] As a leader our goal is reduction of threat, create safety and consistency

• [27:05] Gas pedal and the brake

• [31:10] What can we do to make sure we're caring for ourselves with a bit more intention

• [38:05] How to become more present and grounded before team meetings

• [40:40] Neuroscience tips for leaders and the ‘micro yeses’

• [44:35] Self leadership and shadow intelligence

• [48:50] What inspires people to take on shadow intelligence

• [50:00] Why do we need to know about trauma as leaders

• [53:50] Rapid fire questions

I invite you to immerse yourself in this conversation with Britt, as we tap into the power of knowing how our brain works, and the ways in which it will make us more resilient and impactful leaders. You can find the full transcript of our conversation on my website, along with more information about Britt and her work.

Thank you for being a part of my podcast community, and remember to stay tuned for more inspiring episodes to come!

#PodcastEpisode #TraumaInformedLeadership #SelfAwareness #EmotionalIntelligence #ProfessionalGrowth

Connect with Britt

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittfrank

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittfrankmsw/

• Book: https://www.scienceofstuck.com/book

• https://www.scienceofstuck.com/

Connect with me

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolynswora/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynswora/

• Website: https://www.carolynswora.com/

• Contact: [e-mail]