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What if the key to being a better manager isnt found in a new productivity hack, a different feedback framework, or a time management appbut 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 workand 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. 1. Multitasking Is a Myth: Prioritization is Your Brains Superpower The brains prefrontal cortex handles focus, planning, and decision-making. But its 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, youre 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 teams brainpower. This also builds psychological safety and trust. Try this: Push back on unnecessary urgency from above. Communicate early and clearly about changes. Create space for people to do their best work, not just keep up. 2. Creativity Needs Space (and Structure) Leaders often say they want innovation, but fail to create the conditions that allow it. The brain’s creative engineparticularly the default mode networkthrives when were relaxed, slightly daydreaming, and free from judgment. Yet most work environments reward hyperproductivity and constant urgency. Creativity requires a balance of exploration and exploitation. Neuroscience tells us that the best ideas often come when were mentally alert and engaged, but not overwhelmed; often when we are focused, interested, and under just the right amount of pressure. Constant pressure to be brilliant now can actually inhibit insight. Try this: Build “white space” into your teams calendar. Walking meetings, unscheduled thinking time, or even mindfulness minutes. Counterintuitively, making time for your people to actively rest may be your easiest to implement, but most impactful, innovation strategy. 3. Coaching Unlocks Neuroplasticity (and Performance) If your job is to get the best from your people, you need to stop telling and start coaching. Great managers ask the kinds of questions that rewire their teams thinking. Thats not a metaphor; its neuroscience. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change. When people reflect, reframe, or develop insight, theyre literally rewiring their neural pathways. Effective coaching conversations tap into this, activating networks for learning, motivation, and problem-solving. And coaching at the identity level (helping people explore not just what they do but who they are) creates deep, lasting change. Try this: Next time someone brings you a problem, dont solve it. Ask: What have you already tried? or What would great look like here? When you practice this, youre building your colleagues brain. 4. Motivation Lives in the Brains Reward System Motivation isn’t magic, and it’s not about free pizza or ping-pong tables. Its about how well leaders understand the brain’s reward circuits. Dopamine, the chemical of motivation, spikes when people feel progress, connection, or purpose. In many workplace environments, overuse of rankings, performance comparisons, or conditional bonuses can reduce intrinsic motivation over time. When these tools create pressure or fear of failure, they risk disengagement rather than drive. Try this: Recognize effort, not just outcomes. Connect tasks to meaningful goals. Give your team autonomy in how they reach targets. These all activate the reward networks and sustain engagement over time. 5. A High-Performing Neural Environment Isnt Soft. Its Smart One of the most misunderstood drivers of high performance is psychological safety. This isnt about being niceits about creating the neural conditions for people to think clearly, speak up, and take risks. When people feel unsafe (even subtly), the brain activates the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex has to work harder to emotionally regulate. That means less creativity, lower collaboration, and poorer decision-making. Managers who create cultures of trust and fairness help teams stay in a reward stateand unlock their best thinking. Try this: Model curiosity. Fail fast. Admit mistakes. Ask more questions. Your vulnerability is a shortcut to their clarity. Final Thought: Manage Like a Brain-Savvy Human Understanding how the brain works isn’t just interesting trivia: It’s the blueprint for managing with clarity, creativity, and compassion.By making small shifts in how you focus, coach, motivate, and create safety, you build better brainsyour own, and your teams. And when your brain works better, everything else follows.
Category:
E-Commerce
Apples annual Worldwide Developers Conference begins this Monday, June 9. Although the five-day event has historically been aimed at developers, Apples consumer fans generally cant wait to tune in to the keynote address that kicks off the event. Thats when Apple offers the world the first preview of its upcoming software launchesthe operating systems that will power its devices when they are released to the public as free downloads in the fall. This year, Apples software changes are likely to be more transformative than theyve been in over a decade, radically reshaping the look of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac OSes. But just what will Apple reveal at WWDC25? Heres whatand what notto expect. Rebranded operating systems In late May, Bloomberg revealed that Apple will be rebranding its numbering scheme for all of its operating systems. They will no longer be numbered sequentially (for example, iOS 16, iOS 17, iOS 18). Instead, they will be numbered by year. For example, the new iOS Apple will introduce on Monday at WWDC25 will no longer be called iOS 19, and instead will be known as iOS 26. The 26 stands for the year 2026. Though Apple is debuting the new OS in 2025, it will remain the latest OS through fall 2026, and the 26 moniker signifies that. That means instead seeing iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16, tvOS 19, watchOS 12, and visionOS 3, expect Apple to debut iOS 16, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26. Unified visual design Apple is also creating a unified visual look for all its operating systems. Currently, iOS and iPadOS are the only two Apple operating systems that look somewhat similarmacOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS have distinct designs for their UI elements, such as windows and pop-up menus. However, the 26 version of the operating systems will establish a universal design across all of them. Fast Company has previously detailed what the design might look like: transparent UI elements that let the forms and colors of background content bleed through like light through a glass window, floating toolbars, reflective and shimmering lighting effects, rounder icons, glassy keyboards, and more. The new OSes are said to take heavy inspiration from the current visionOS, which powers the Apple Vision Pro. iOS 26 Apple will likely use iOS 26 in its WWDC25 keynote to showcase the radical design changes coming to all its operating systems before going into detail on other changes coming to its OS’es. But theres not much known about what we can expect other than a few improvements, which include a dedicated gaming app, new accessibility features, and the addition of Stage Manager for iPhone, which will allow users to display iPhone apps on a monitor connected to the iPhone via its USB port. There will also likely be some Apple Intelligence improvements, but more on that below. iPadOS 26 The iPads new operating system will receive the same new visual redesign iOS 26 and Apples other OSes are getting. It will also receive the same accessibility upgrades and new gaming app that iOS 26 is getting. But Bloomberg reports that iPadOS could actually get more Mac-like this year. While the iPads hardware is nearly universally praised, users frequently criticize its software, which is little different than iOS, an operating system designed for a smartphone. However, users tend to think of their tablets as being closer to computers than phonesand this year, Apple is reportedly making iPadOS more like desktop software, rather than mobile. Bloomberg says that the iPadOS 26 upgrade will focus on productivity, multitasking, and app window managementwith an eye on the device operating more like a Mac. macOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and watchOS 26 It not clear what new features Apple will reveal in the new operating systems for Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro, and Apple Watch. But all of them are likely to adopt the new solarium-like visual design of iOS 26. And there’s a possibility that tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and watchOS 26 may also bring Apple IntelligenceApples artificial intelligence platformto the Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Watch for the first time. Yet, for the Apple Watch, Bloomberg reports the device may rely on offloading the actual processing of Apple Intelligence requests to a connected iPhone since the Apple Watchs hardware lacks the processing power to run Apple Intelligence on-device. Apple Intelligence Last years event, WWDC24, focused heavily on Apple Intelligence. Yet, since the AI platforms rollout in October, Apples foray into artificial intelligence has been met with indifference from most consumers. Apple also faced criticism for delaying previously announced Apple Intelligence changes to Siri until later this yearor even into 2026. For that reason, Apple isnt expected to announce many new Apple Intelligence features. It won’t want to disappoint people if they again need to be delayed. However, there are reports that Apple will give users a few new Apple intelligence upgrades, including AI battery management on the iPhone and the option to select Googles Gemini as the chatbot of choice in Apple Intelligence. Currently, the only third-party option Apple Intelligence offers is OpenAIs ChatGPT. New Macs and iPhones? WWDC is historically a heavily software-focused event. So if youre hoping to see new iPhones announced at WWDC25, expect to be let down. Apple will unveil its new iPhone range in the fall, as usual. But whether the new iPhone family will be called iPhone 17 or instead will be rebranded as iPhone 26 is yet to be seen. As for other hardware, there is an outside chance that Apple could unveil a new Mac Proits highest-end, professional desktop computr at WWDC25, since the event is still, ostensibly, one focused on professionals. The current Mac Pro was introduced at WWDC23 in June 2023, making it two years old this month. New Apple TV hardware is also a possibility, or that launch may wait until the fall. However, we wont need to wait much longer to know for certain exactly what Apple will unveil at WWDC25. The conference kicks off on Monday, June 9, with the WWDC keynote scheduled for 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. Can a visual redesign lead to an AAPL stock boost? The visual redesign may be the most significant announcement at WWDC from an investor perspective. Visual redesigns are eye-catching to even non-techie consumers, and they may spur buyers to spend on a shiny new iPhonesomething investors are no doubt hoping for, as an increase in iPhone sales may help boost the company’s struggling stock. As of close on trading on June 6, Apple stock (Nasdaq: AAPL) has fallen over 18% since the beginning of the year. However, much of that stock price decline has little to do with Apple’s sales or financial fundamentals and is instead due to President Trump’s tariff threats against China and Apple itself. Apple sources a majority of its products from China, and any tariff that Trump implements on goods from the country could significantly impact Apple’s bottom line, despite Apple CEO Tim Cook’s best efforts. However, if you look at the entirety of the past 12 months, AAPL stock is still up nearly 5%, with the stock price just under $204. If the visual redesign of its operating systems indeed helps sell more iPhones and other devices, it could help the company’s shares move back in the direction of their all-time high of just over $260 apiece, reached in December 2024.
Category:
E-Commerce
Moth Winn was diagnosed with a terminal illness at the age of 53 and in the same week he and his wife, Raynor, lost their home. As the bailiffs arrived, the couple made a remarkable decision: to take a 630-mile year-long coastal walk from Somerset to Dorset, through Devon and Cornwall. Their journey was first told in Raynor Winns bestselling memoir The Salt Path, which has now been made into a film. In The Salt Path, Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs portray the hardship and hope the couple experienced as they walked through sunshine and storms with little more than a tent and a handful of cash. But their walk is part of a much older story. Without realizing it, Raynor and Moth joined a centuries-old tradition of seeking healing and transformation along the southwest coast. In the 19th century, people traveled to the coast because doctors believed sea air and seawater could treat illness. This idea became known as change of air treatment and was widely prescribed to urban patients suffering from nervous disorders, such as stomach pains and chest issues. These seaside visits were understood as a form of medicine. Jason Isaacs (L to R), Raynor Winn, Moth Winn, and Gillian Anderson on the south coast during the filming of The Salt Path. [Photo: Steve Tanner/Black Bear] Englands westerly edge The South West Coast Path is the U.K.s longest national trail. The route has over 115,000 feet of ascent and descentthe equivalent of scaling Mount Everest four times. It was officially protected in 1973 to preserve and improve access to the path and now attracts nearly 9 million visitors each year. But its origins lie in the working lives of local people, especially coastguards watching for smugglers and fishermen following pilchard shoals. In the 19th century, the region also became a destination for domestic tourists. It was made more accessible as passenger rail lines were extended to places including Plymouth and Penzance. Some visitors walked to explore unfamiliar landscapes, while others did so on medical advice. The seaside towns of Penzance and Torquay emerged as health resorts and by the first world war they were known as havens for invalids. Between 1800 and 1854, Torquays population grew from 800 to 14,000, mostly made up of medical residents on temporary stays. Healing in the elements Before the walk, Moth was diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration (CBD) after seeing a doctor about shoulder pain and tremors. CBD is a rare degenerative condition that affects the brain and gradually leads to difficulties with movement, speech, memory, and swallowing. When he began the walk, Moths mobility had deteriorated and he was experiencing severe pain and numbness in his left leg. For the first half of the film, Jason Isaacs drags his foot along the ground to show this physical strain. The challenge of walking was made harder by the rugged terrainsteep hills, jagged rocks, and harsh winds. As Moth and Raynor walked, something unexpected happened. Moths symptoms began to ease, his condition improved, and he eventually stopped taking pain relief. He believed the change was linked to the regular movement and the sense of purpose the walk gave them during a bleak period. He described walking as having a restorative power that offered him a new, unlicensed freedom. The idea that walking by the coast could have healing properties has deep roots. In the 19th century, walking was considered beneficial, but the emphasis was on gentle movement in clean air rather than endurance through rough landscapes. The air of Devon and Cornwall was praised for its soothing qualities and the climate for its warmth in the winter. Town planners even built flat promenades in seaside towns to make walking more accessible for people with chronic illnesses and low mobility. Spending time outside was considered particularly valuable for people suffering from tuberculosis. Before tuberculosis was known to be caused by bacteria, medical experts blamed it on bad-smelling air. Doctors suggested that city dwellers suffering with chest pains remove themselves from these dirty atmospheres and immerse themselves in the clean, salt air at the seaside. Nature plays a central role in The Salt Path. Its effect on the body is seen in Gillian Andersons sun-scorched cheeks and wind-tousled hair. The sounds of birds and the sea accompany panoramic drone shots of the cliffs. The sea is a key character. Arriving at Minehead, the Winns take a photo to begin their journey: of the three of us, the couple and the sea. Victorian travel writers also insisted that in the southwest, The pedestrian must never wander more than a stones throw from the sea. When Moth swims in the sea, he is empowered in his own body and able to move without constraint. The seaside has carried health connotations since the 1700s. In the 18th century, doctors claimed that sudden immersion in cold, salty, and turbulent waters had therapeutic value for chronic illness. Today, open swimming remains a popular practice in the southwest and is praised for its mental and physical health benefits. As the film ends, we learn that 12 years after their walk Moth is still living with CBD and the couple still use long-distance walks to treat his symptoms. This experience of illness finds resonance in older practices, reminding us that healing can sometimes be found outside of clinical spaces. While the reasons for walking often change, the connection between place, body and wellbeing spans centuries. The Salt Path tells a deeply personal story but also continues a long cultural history of looking to the coastline for recovery and renewal. Lena Ferriday is a lecturer in the history of science and the environment at King’s College London. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Category:
E-Commerce
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