What if the key to being a better manager isn’t found in a new productivity hack, a different feedback framework, or a time management app—but in understanding the three-pound organ inside your head that runs the show: your brain?

Most leadership advice focuses on what you should do. Neuroscience helps explain why some things work—and why others fail, despite your best intentions. When you manage in ways that are aligned with how the brain naturally operates, you unlock better decision-making, motivation, creativity, and connection.

Here are five ways neuroscience can help you manage smarter.

The brain’s prefrontal cortex handles focus, planning, and decision-making. But it’s also highly energy-demanding and sensitive to overload. When you spring last-minute requests on your team, surprise them with new deadlines, or pile on urgent tasks, you’re setting their brains up to fail.

Cognitive overload impairs performance. Each unexpected demand consumes energy needed for prioritizing, problem-solving, and creative thinking. When managers protect their people from chaotic, reactive workflows, they preserve their team’s brainpower. This also builds psychological safety and........

© Fast Company