There is a surprising factor that limits your leadership potential – Unresolved trauma. Trauma is a disruption of the patterns our brains trust to navigate life.

Dr.Julia DiGangi is a neuropsychologist who completed her clinical training at a consortium of Harvard Medical School, Boston University School of Medicine, and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. She has nearly two decades of experience studying the connection between our brains and our behavior. Dr. DiGangi has worked with leaders at the White House Press Office, global companies, international NGOs, and US Special Forces. Her understanding of stress, trauma, and resilience is also informed by her work in international development and humanitarian aid, where she served some of the world's most vulnerable communities. The founder of NeuroHealth Partners, a neuropsychology-based consultancy, DiGangi shows people—at work and at home—how to harness the power of the brain to lead more satisfying and emotionally intelligent lives.

Key Takeaways

• The Brain’s Role: The brain is fundamentally a pattern detection machine, moving us through life largely unconsciously based on past memories and experiences.

• Trauma Shatters Patterns: Trauma is defined as the violent shattering of expected patterns, causing confusion because it disrupts the brain's meaning-making process. The pain of trauma lies not so much in what happened, but in our response to it - the belief that we are never safe again or can never trust again.

• Suppressing Emotions Clogs the Nervous System: When we avoid feeling painful emotions, we "shove them down" repeatedly, leading to a lifetime of a clogged emotional pipe or nervous system.

• Leaders are Limited by Unresolved Trauma: A leader's primary limitation is their inability to see and deal with their past traumas. Childhood survival strategies that were once adaptive can constrain adult leadership.

• Trust is the Antidote to Uncertainty: The brain is allergic to uncertainty, but seeking external certainty only breeds more anxiety. The opposite of uncertainty is not certainty but surrender and trust.

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