How to be a future leader now

The SCARF model was developed by neuroscientists to frame and address the responses of threat and reward.

Research and findings in social neuroscience, and the potential negative response in challenging situations, has resulted in practical, impactful and sustainable solutions. These are more relevant now than ever before.

These studies reveal that the body’s neurological, physical and emotional responses when facing a life or death situation, or when under other forms of physical threat, are similarly experienced when our personal or professional lives are under sudden, heightened and/or extended degrees of change or stress.

This model comprises of 5 domains which are listed below indicating how they specifically relate to the COVID-19 threat that we are currently experiencing.

Status

This is our perceived position in relation to others in terms of importance. This can be impacted in various ways during COVID-19:

• losing our position of influence
• being unable to assert our status when working remotely
• by not having all the aspects and representations of status present as we would have in our normal work scenario.

Certainty

This is defined as our ability to predict our immediate future. This is impacted by various factors, such as uncertainty about our jobs, the economy and how the well-being and that of our families will be affected by this.

There is little or no clarity of how long this will carry on for and what our world will be like when this eventually passes.

Autonomy

Autonomy is our ability to make our own choices and to be in control. This is severally felt by the lockdown and associated restrictions that were not of our to choosing.

• How are our choices and freedom reduced due to these restrictions?
• What can we do to improve each of our situations?
• Having not chosen this we can easily feel like victims.

Relatedness

This reflects how we value the acceptance of ourselves by others as well as our sense of connection with and being part of one or more groups. Being socially distant can lead to being isolated. However, every person can potentially be a threat of infection for us and us in turn for them.

• Will we be accepted by others if we become sick?
• What can we do to keep our sense of connection with others? Particularly if we are remote from some of our loved ones during this time?

Fairness

Each one of us is affected differently by this. Some businesses have increased sales due to the epidemic. Some will not survive and many will struggle.

• Is this fair?
• Am I losing my livelihood because of anything that I have done or mistakes made by me?
• How can something that started on the other side of the planet so negatively and profoundly affect my life?

In the future, successful and significant leaders will be highly aware of how they are influencing the brain function and chemistry of others. We share this framework of future leadership which gives stakeholders a heightened sense of awareness of how they act and the influence this has on others. This will in turn increase the social awareness of the group.

Providing insight and understanding of the effects of stress on the brain and how best to introduce and manage change is needed now more than ever.

For more updates and advice, visit our social media pages, or contact our team today.