One of the most important contributions of the emerging field of neuroleadership is to inform us that our brains are highly emotional. When a new stimulus is introduced into our environment, it is the emotional brain that clicks on first to determine if the new stimulus represents a threat. If the threat is real, “fight or flight” mechanisms are activated in the brain and the body prepares as adrenaline and cortisol are released. It is clear that the emotional brain plays such a prominent role for survival reasons.

Unfortunately, the corporate world continues to ignore the importance of the emotional brain with an emphasis on the cognitive, rational brain. Most corporate cultures have unwritten rules embedded within their cultures that suppress the expression of emotions in their workplaces. Expressing anger, frustration, anxiety, fear and a host of other emotions is considered to be career-limiting in these organizations. But even expressions of positive emotions such as happiness, gratitude, love and empathy are discouraged as they are perceived to be demonstrations of weakness. It seems that many company cultures go against the grain that represents the reality of the human brain.

Most corporate executives will agree with the fact that trust is a critical component of any organization. It is the glue that binds whole teams, departments and companies together. Paradoxically, in order for trust to exist in a relationship, both parties have to be perceived as authentic and sincere in their intentions towards each other. And yet how can we be perceived as being authentic if we are discouraged from expressing emotions and showing our humanity? It isn’t possible. It is well known within leadership development circles that, in order to develop trust and come across to the other party as authentic, it is necessary to show one’s vulnerability. Doing so shows the other person and team members that we all share a common humanity along with similar struggles and challenges. Once we acknowledge our challenges and show vulnerability, we create common bonds with the other party and establish a real emotional connection. This is the seed that is planted that commences the building of trust and authentic relationships.

Storytelling is perhaps the most powerful means of showing vulnerability and expressing one’s emotions. In the Fall 2016 issue of Leader to Leader magazine, author Carmine Gallo wrote a thought-provoking article titled, “Inspiring Storytellers Transform Employees Into Crusaders”. In it they tell how great companies like Starbucks, Southwest Airlines and KPMG have built strong company cultures that have connected their employees to a higher purpose. And the means that they use to do so is through telling stories that transcend profit-building motives and express the humanity of the founders, managers and non supervisory employees. This is the secret sauce that links the company’s mission to a higher purpose – transforming employees into ambassadors for their organizations. The result, as witnessed at Starbucks, Southwest Airlines and KPMG, is decreased employee turnover, enhanced employee and customer engagement and higher levels of growth and profitability.

At Myelin Leadership, we have been using Points of You and evocative visual stimuli to help managers and non supervisory employees tell their real stories for the past five years. The results have been spectacular. Exposing someone to a provocative photograph lights up areas of his/her brain linked to emotions and memories. This facilitates the telling of authentic stories that include genuine emotions – resulting in the showing of vulnerability and a common humanity. The connection that people feel towards each other is instantaneous as the trust-building process is unleashed. The lesson is clear – the use of storytelling is a powerful means to build healthy cultures based on trust and healthy relationships – and the impact on an organization’s growth and profitability is real.