Somatic Psychology: A Powerful Tool for Leadership Decision-Making

In the realm of leadership, decision-making is a critical skill. Traditionally, cognitive psychology has been the go-to discipline for understanding decision-making processes. However, a growing body of research suggests that somatic psychology, which emphasizes the mind-body connection, can offer more powerful insights for leadership decisions.

Understanding Somatic Psychology 

Somatic psychology is a branch of psychology that studies the relationship between the mind and body. It posits that changes in the body can affect the mind and vice versa. This approach contrasts with cognitive psychology, which primarily focuses on mental processes like memory, perception, and problem-solving. Dominant models of cognitive psychology have informed organizational behavior and focused on how we can understand our thoughts and try to influence them.  Despite these advances, leaders often found themselves struggling with stress and noticing that they would either become too activated or simply shut down, rather than staying in an ideal state to make the best decisions. Additionally, teams would pick up on their leader being stressed, and this has led to suboptimal communication and decreased productivity. As researchers explored how human beings respond to stress, they gained knowledge in the role of the more primitive, nonverbal parts of the brain in identifying and responding to cues of potential danger. These are the brain systems which are first to be active in newborn infants, before communication and verbal skills develop.

The Power of Somatic Awareness 

One of the key concepts in somatic psychology is somatic awareness- the ability to perceive, interpret, and act upon the physical sensations in our bodies. This awareness can provide valuable insights into our emotional states, which can inform leadership decisions.  This is also called “interoception” and is a focus of mindfulness-based approaches and many therapy interventions for stress, anxiety and impacts of trauma. This could include sensations such as muscle tightness, tremor, increased sweating and heat in the case of a stress response.

For instance, a leader might notice a feeling of tension in their stomach when considering a particular course of action. This physical sensation could be a manifestation of underlying anxiety about the decision. Recognizing this, the leader might choose to explore these feelings further before making a decision. By simply taking time to notice and acknowledge this sensation, the leader may notice a shift in how they feel, with a decrease in stress and tension.  This allows for a more rational decision, rather than reacting out of a sense of stress (typically fear or anger).

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership 

Emotional intelligence, a concept closely related to somatic psychology, is increasingly recognized as a crucial leadership skill. Leaders with high emotional intelligence can recognize and manage their own emotions and those of others. Somatic psychology provides tools for enhancing emotional intelligence, such as body-based mindfulness exercises. These leaders are seen as more resilient – more able to not overly react to unexpected and/or stressful situations, with less tendency to become overwhelmed, anxious or angry. This leads to their team trusting their leader more readily, and feeling more secure, safe and able to meet any demands.

Somatic Psychology vs. Cognitive Psychology 

While cognitive psychology provides valuable insights into decision-making processes, it tends to overlook the role of the body and emotions. Somatic psychology, on the other hand, offers a more holistic view of the human experience.

Cognitive approaches to decision-making often assume that people make decisions rationally, weighing the pros and cons. However, research shows that emotions significantly influence our decisions. You can get a sense of this by considering how we all know when something might not be good for our health, yet we continue to engage in the behavior anyways. Responses such as craving, fear and anger seem to come from these deeper nonverbal places in our brains and are not as readily accessible to control by thought as we had assumed. Additionally, if we have been exposed to stressful or overwhelming situations in the past, we may tend to react with fight, flight or avoidance responses too quickly, even if there’s no real threat in front of us.

So how do we work with this more primitive, instinctive part of ourselves? The first step is to develop our interoception and learn how we are responding in any given moment. This allows us to learn to observe our responses before acting on them. We can also learn self-regulation exercises, the next step, to shift our state from one of stress or shutdown to a more desirable condition of resilience. By acknowledging and integrating these emotional factors, somatic psychology can lead to more effective decision-making.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, while cognitive psychology has traditionally dominated the field of leadership decision-making, somatic psychology offers a powerful alternative. By incorporating somatic awareness and emotional intelligence into their decision-making processes, leaders can make more informed, effective, and holistic decisions. As the field of psychology continues to evolve, it’s clear that the body-mind connection will play an increasingly important role in leadership.

Written by Dr. Randy Brazie.

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