Neuroscience of Leadership Under Uncertainty: Clarity, Trust, and the Top 10 Workplace Threats with Dr. Sherry Yellin

In this BizBlend episode, host Sana speaks with Dr. Sherry Yellin about the neuroscience behind leading in uncertainty—and why clarity is a leader’s first responsibility. From the prefrontal cortex getting “hijacked” by threat to FOBU (fear of being uncertain/uncomfortable), Dr. Yellin explains how ambiguity, low agency, and perceived negative outcomes derail collaboration, creativity, and innovation. She outlines practical ways leaders can normalize discomfort, surface unknowns, and rebuild high-trust cultures that people won’t want to leave. You’ll learn the most common brain-based workplace threats—social rejection, favoritism, and loss of purpose—and how to turn confusion into momentum with specific clarity moves leaders can deploy immediately.

Dr. Sherry Yellin is a leadership strategist who blends neuroscience with practical change tools to help organizations (from NASA to Fortune 500s) create resilient, high-trust cultures. She leads The Yellin Group and develops brain-aligned strategies for clarity, accountability, and performance.

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  Uncertainty hijacks the prefrontal cortex, replacing collaboration and creativity with defensiveness and “being right.”

  
  


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  Negative threat typically includes three factors: low choice/voice (agency), anticipated negative outcomes, and uncertainty/unknowns.

  
  


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  FOBU = fear of being uncertain/uncomfortable; name it to reframe threat as challenge and build resilience.

  
  


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  Clarity is the antidote to uncertainty: define the very next step to restore motion and reduce procrastination.

  
  


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  Leaders should invite teams to list “what’s unclear” immediately after announcing change; then co-locate where to get missing clarity.

  
  


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  Social rejection is the #1 workplace threat; brain scans of social pain mirror physical pain—belonging is a performance variable.

  
  


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  Purpose can be misused in mission-driven sectors (healthcare, nonprofits) to justify overload; purpose must motivate, not guilt.

  
  


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  Listen for threat language: “either–or,” “I don’t know,” and stall patterns signal cognitive load and low psychological safety.

  
  


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  High-trust cultures aren’t “soft”: challenge and accountability, delivered with clarity and fairness, increase trust.

  
  


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  Personal tactic: when overwhelmed, list uncertainties and where to find answers; small wins rebuild agency and momentum.

  
  

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  Website: https://yellingroup.com/

  
  


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  Free Download: Dr. Yellin’s easy-read e-book on the top 10 workplace threats  - Ebook

  
  

Want to be a guest on BizBlend? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch

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  DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik

  
  

Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed are the personal opinions of the guest and do not reflect the views of the host or Healthy Mind By Avik™️. We do not intend to harm, defame, or discredit any person, organization, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned. All third-party media used remain the property of their respective owners and are used under fair use for informational purposes. By watching, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer.

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