How To Bypass Amygdala Hijack

That is me. Lately I have started posting pictures of me on the blog without hesitation. I am 51. Still young at heart. Looking forward to living a happy contented life. I enjoy my freedom more now. There are so many things I wan to do in life and I do not need anyone to tell me what I should and should not. 

Today I came to post here something I wrote on Facebook about my favourite Amygdala and decision making. So I searched the blog to see what I have written before and found this post. I laughed at the memory. How I wanted to be in love and wanted to be swept away by Mr. Charming. Twelve years ago I was single and looking forward to a partnership in life. That is not the case now. I am still the level headed person but I have learnt the hard way not to risk the after effects of the Amygdala hijack. 

So here is what I wrote... 

16 Dec 2021 on Facebook.

I was barely 35 when I got into a leadership role in my corporate career. I remember my then project manager telling me that I was getting into a big role. It was also something new so a lot of risk was involved. It involved convincing the senior line of leaders to start doing things that were not part of their top line nor bottom line. Why would they do it then? So weaving in altruism was the best way.

I started work with 1 vertical head and grew to working with 14. The line of leaders just below the CEO. The CXOs.

My approach was humility, showcasing them in good light and adding value to their work by hand holding with social technology which was just about emerging then and they were clueless about it. Once the leader was won over, he made sure the officers fell in order.

My GM a very sweet man established that team that I was part of and groomed many of the new managers like me. He sent us for leadership trainings.

Now the leadership training as you are aware are always about winning people and enable to work with all types of workforce. We were 1 lac strong workforce by the time I left from that Organization.

It is 8 years since that I am out of the Corporate world I think leadership skill programs are manipulative. They teach you many things about behaviour, psychology, physiology and using it to your advantage. This I feel because I have chosen to live a more natural way of life. Let things happen, allow people freedom to be. Accept the difference in thought and let go if it comes to that.

One lesson in leadership that I love personally is about 'Amygdala hijack'. I have mentioned it a few times in my conversations and writings before. So what is it? It's the two almond shaped bunch of cells at the base of the brain that are related to spontaneity. When the blood supply to the frontal lobes (the decision makers) of the brain is cut off. The amigdala acts in fear so either it tells the brain to fight or flee. Very good instant response in a situation of accident or bodily harm. However decisions are not based on saved historic data n emotions in the brain. Where as the frontal lobes in the cerebral cortex are all about fine decisions based on data, memories, emotions and they are not voluntary but infact strong decisions. The frontal lobes are what rationalize the spontaneity of the amygdala.

Emotional intelligence comes from first understanding one's own emotions so that we can help others or use others if that's the goal like in the Corporate scenario.