The Lizard Brain

In today's marketplace the role of creativity and creative problem solving are more imperative than ever before. The inability to re-imagine the possibilities could very much be your first steps in the direction of irrelevance.  And the last time I checked nobody wants that.  

What is interesting though, is why some individuals, organizations or businesses in times of upheavel and change soar to new heights when others simply sputter and go nowhere.

In some form or fashion they've figured out how to move beyond their 'lizard brain'.

So now the question begs, "what is the lizard brain?"

The lizard brain is concerned only with survival. Not creative thinking, not thoughtful musings, or imaginative contemplation. Located at the base of our skull and right above our spine, it's our old brain which focuses only on eat, attack, runaway or mate. That's it.  It's our own 'personal' counselor for social survival.  It remembers when we 'crashed and burned' in a social situation. It remembers when we were laughed at in the classroom for giving the wrong answer.  It remembers when we offered that new idea during the last office meeting that the director shot down and everyone else agreed it was 'bad idea' (note to self: NEVER do that again). It conditions us to not take risks and do what is only absolutely necessary. The lizard brain keeps our fear in tact, and as was mentioned before, is focuses only on insuring our survival.

The ability to recognize when the lizard brain, both within ourselves and in others, gets turned on and begins operating, is vitally important. Our neo-cortex (which lower species don't have) or the part of our brain responsible for intelligence, is where we sift through data, draw on experience, or conjure new possibilities. This is the brain we need. Yet, again, it is so often that many (for whatever reason) won't/can't use it.

As you look around and see new ideas emerging, change happening, and restructuring taking place the question becomes "how long do you really want your lizard brain to have a grip on how you think?"

Your answer to that question could ultimately determine your destiny.