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6. July 2026Why do some salespeople close more sales than others? Why do some leaders manage to build exceptional teams, and some don’t? Why are we brilliant in some occasions, and a total failure in other ones?
Why do some salespeople close more sales than others? Why do some leaders manage to build exceptional teams, and some don’t? Why are we brilliant in some occasions, and a total failure in other ones?
Neuroscience provides some eye-opening answers. Neuroscience is the study of how the brain develops and impacts behaviour and cognitive functions. As an Executive Coach I believe that understanding how the brain works can help managers to become more conscious of how they unintentionally bring out the worst in themselves and others, and how they can bring out the best instead.
This is a complex topic, I'm not a neuroscientist, and performance is certainly influenced by several factors. However, in a very simplified way, the following three basic concepts might give you an insight into how you could make a difference to both the quality of your relationships and the results you get in your work – and in your personal life.
The neuroscience behind the results we get
In order to describe the three concepts, I will refer to the following areas in our brain: the Prefrontal Cortex, also called ‘Executive Brain’, and the Amygdala, also called ‘Primitive Brain’.

CONCEPT No. 1: When we feel safe, valued and understood, we operate out of the Executive Brain. Our brain floods with oxitocyn and we feel good. Neurological connections are activated and new ones are created. We ignite our creativity and our ability to build relationships, to focus, think strategically and solve problems. How does this translate at work? For example, when a leader manages to build trust by creating a positive emotional climate with his team, and by exposing intentions with transparency (no hidden agenda), team members feel safe and valued. At this point, when the leader offers a vision for shared success, along with a compelling goal to focus on, the team members’ Executive Brain is able to function at its best. As a result, the team works together with renewed energy and passion, finding effective ways to overcome obstacles and achieve success. In this example, both the leader and the team manage to bring out the best in themselves.
CONCEPT No. 2: When we want to be right at all costs, or when we feel threatened / belittled / rejected, we operate out of the Amygdala, our Primitive Brain. The amygdala is thought to be responsible for our emotions and our survival instinct. When it takes over, we experience the so-called ‘Amygdala hijack’: Our brain floods with cortisol, a stress hormone that locks our brain down and puts us in a Fight/Flight/Freeze mode. In this state, it becomes virtually impossible for us to access the 'more elevated' functions in our prefrontal cortex and we act in a dysfunctional way. How does this translate at work? For example, a boss is upset and heavily criticizes an employee. The employee feels shocked and her brain gets stuck. She doesn’t find a smart answer and rumbles, which makes things worse. Based on what the boss sees in that moment, he thinks that the employee is indeed incapable. He doesn't care about all the praise the employee gets from other people. The employee perceives her boss’s negative judgement, feels ashamed and angry. The next time she gets in front of the boss, her anxiety triggers the amygdala again, causing her to perform poorly again. In this example, both the boss and the employee operate out of their amygdala and bring out the worst in themselves.
CONCEPT No. 3: Broken connections can be restored. In the example above, the connection between the boss and the employee was broken, like the connection between the amygdala and the Executive Brain functions. When we realize that we are operating out of our Amygdala, we can regain access to our Executive Brain by changing our brain chemistry, for example through breathing, taking a walk, and looking at the situation from a different perspective. Similarly, when we realize that the person in front of us is operating out of their Primitive Brain, we can help that person to reconnect with their Executive Brain in order to create a more meaningful conversation. The key for this is to restore Trust. How does this translate at work? For example, during a sales negotiation a prospective customer suddenly shuts down, saying that he is not interested in the product and that the price is too high anyway. Something had triggered him to feel threatened and get into a Flight mode. The salesperson realizes it and openly admits that he had been pushing too much, apologizing for it (Transparency). Then he explains that he really cares about helping the customer, and therefore he would like to understand what might be holding the customer back (Relationship and Understanding). Trust starts being rebuilt, the customer feels reassured, and the sales conversation resumes. Judith E. Glaser describes this process in detail in her book 'Conversational Intelligence'.
Conclusions
The answer to the initial questions in this post lies in the ability to move ourselves and others from Distrust to Trust. Distrust causes our brain to assume the worst and shut down for protection; Trust causes our brain to assume the best, open up and operate at its best, helping us to build positive relationships and get better results in what we do. Neuroscience also shows us that we get what we believe. Our thoughts, beliefs and emotions about ourselves and others affect the neurochemistry in our brain, which in turn affects our behaviour. Our behaviour affects another person’s thoughts and emotions, which in turn affect their own neurochemistry and their behaviour. As you see, we are all connected, and we can easily get caught up in a spiral, which can be negative or positive depending on the kind of beliefs we hold.
If you are not satisfied with your co-workers’ performance, ask yourself these questions:
- What do you believe about them? (e.g. “they are lazy/mediocre/arrogant, they don’t like me, they don’t care, etc.”).
- What do you do or say that might create an ‘Amygdala hijack’ in their brain, causing them to distrust you and produce resistance, withdrawal, or poor performance?
- What do your co-workers need from you in order to trust you more and do what you ask them to do?
Author: Myriam Callegarin
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About Myriam Callegarin
Myriam Callegarin is a Global Executive Coach and Leadership Consultant. She works with successful leaders who want to upgrade their ability to bring out the best in themselves and their teams, so they can add extraordinary value to their companies and customers. She combines an extensive corporate and business experience with a deep passion for coaching as a tool for personal, leadership and organizational development. Some references: Daimler, Ford Motor Company, Porsche, Roche, Luxottica, UniCredit, Banca Intesa San Paolo, Chiesi, Ferrero, Bonduelle, ENEL, E.On, World Food Programme (United Nations) and more.
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