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<v Speaker 1>Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of

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<v Speaker 1>performance through strong human relations, team building, and goal achieving.

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<v Speaker 1>This is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host

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<v Speaker 1>Paul Fellavalito.

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<v Speaker 2>Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.

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<v Speaker 2>It's episode five ninety five. This episode is going to

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<v Speaker 2>flip you out. Your brain is lying to you, not occasionally,

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<v Speaker 2>not on bad days, regularly, and if you're a leader,

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<v Speaker 2>that lie shows up in your decisions, your reactions, your confidence,

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<v Speaker 2>and the stories you tell yourself about your team. Here's

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<v Speaker 2>the problem. The brain is not built to tell the truth.

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<v Speaker 2>It's built to keep you comfortable and alive. That distinction

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<v Speaker 2>matters more than most leaders realize. Your brain it's reality.

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<v Speaker 2>It fills in gaps, It protects your ego. It avoids discomfort.

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<v Speaker 2>It rewrites events so you feel right instead of accurate.

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<v Speaker 2>That might help you survive, but it can quietly wreck

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<v Speaker 2>your leadership. Think about the last time you were frustrated

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<v Speaker 2>with someone at work. Your brain probably gave you a

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<v Speaker 2>clean story. They do not care. They are lazy, they're difficult,

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<v Speaker 2>they're out to get me. Those stories feel solid, they

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<v Speaker 2>feel logical, they feel obvious. They are also usually incomplete.

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<v Speaker 2>The brain hates uncertainty when it does not have full information,

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<v Speaker 2>It invents clarity. That invention feels like truth, but it

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<v Speaker 2>is often assumption dressed up as confidence. And here's where

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<v Speaker 2>leaders get into trouble with this. We make decisions based

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<v Speaker 2>on the story, not the facts. We respond emotionally to

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<v Speaker 2>a narrative that feels real, not evidence that is verified.

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<v Speaker 2>We label people instead of investigating situations. Your brain will

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<v Speaker 2>always choose the story that makes you feel safest, smartest,

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<v Speaker 2>or justified. That is the lie. Another favorite lie your

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<v Speaker 2>brain tells leaders is this one. If something feels uncomfortable,

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<v Speaker 2>it must be wrong, and that is dangerous. Growth feels uncomfortable.

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<v Speaker 2>Hard conversations feel uncomfortable. Admitting you miss something feels uncomfortable.

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<v Speaker 2>Owning a bad call feels uncomfortable. So the brain whispers

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<v Speaker 2>a shortcut, avoid it, delay it, rationalize it. Leaders who

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<v Speaker 2>listen to that voice become excellent explainers in poor owners.

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<v Speaker 2>They explain why it happened. They explain why now is

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<v Speaker 2>not the right time. They explain why someone else shares

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<v Speaker 2>the blame. Meanwhile, trust quietly leaks out of the room,

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<v Speaker 2>and there's another lie. Leaders fall for all the time.

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<v Speaker 2>If I feel confident, I must be correct. Confidence is emotional,

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<v Speaker 2>not factual. Some of the worst leadership decisions are made

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<v Speaker 2>at peak confidence, when the brain has silenced doubt and curiosity,

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<v Speaker 2>when leaders stop asking questions because the answer feels obvious.

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<v Speaker 2>This is why smart leaders still make dumb mistakes. The

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<v Speaker 2>brain rewards certainty, not accuracy. So here's the shift. Great

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<v Speaker 2>leaders learn to pause long enough to question their own thinking.

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<v Speaker 2>They slow down before reacting. They ask what might I

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<v Speaker 2>be missing? They ask what evidence do I actually have?

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<v Speaker 2>They ask am I responding to facts or feelings? That

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<v Speaker 2>pause is a leadership skill. It takes discipline to challenge

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<v Speaker 2>your own narrative, especially when emotions are high, especially when

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<v Speaker 2>you're tired, especially when you are under pressure. But that

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<v Speaker 2>pause is where better decisions live. Your brain will also

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<v Speaker 2>lie to you about time. It will tell you that

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<v Speaker 2>you do not have time to deal with this today.

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<v Speaker 2>It will tell you that this can wait until next week.

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<v Speaker 2>It will tell you that one small issue is not

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<v Speaker 2>worth addressing. That lie creates leadership debt. Small issues ignored

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<v Speaker 2>do not stay. Small. Unclear expectations multiply. Minor frustrations harden

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<v Speaker 2>into resentment later leaders act shocked when a situation explodes

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<v Speaker 2>that was quietly growing for months. Your brain prefers term

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<v Speaker 2>comfort over long term clarity. Leadership requires the opposite. So

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<v Speaker 2>let me give you something practical here. The next time

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<v Speaker 2>you feel a strong reaction as a leader frustration, confidence, certainty, irritation,

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<v Speaker 2>do not act immediately. Do this instead, name the feeling,

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<v Speaker 2>Name the story your brain is telling. Ask what facts

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<v Speaker 2>you can verify right now. That simple reset interrupts the lie.

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<v Speaker 2>You're not trying to silence your brain. You're trying to

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<v Speaker 2>lead it. And this is where red key moments show up,

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<v Speaker 2>high consequence situations where your internal story will drive external outcomes.

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<v Speaker 2>Leaders who recognize those moments and slow themselves down create trust, stability,

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<v Speaker 2>and credibility. Leaders who do not end up chasing problems

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<v Speaker 2>they help create. Your brain is a powerful tool. It

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<v Speaker 2>is also a biased narrator. The best leaders know this.

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<v Speaker 2>They build habits that challenge their own thinking. They invite feedback.

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<v Speaker 2>They stay curious longer than their ego wants them to.

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<v Speaker 2>Leadership is not about being right, It is about being responsible.

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<v Speaker 2>So the next time you feel absolutely certain, pause, The

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<v Speaker 2>next time a story feels obvious, question it the next

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<v Speaker 2>time your brain pushes for comfort, choose clarity. Your leadership

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<v Speaker 2>gets stronger the moment you stop believing every thought you have.

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<v Speaker 2>And if you enjoyed today's episode, head over to Paul

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<v Speaker 2>Fallavalito dot com. I have a lot of free leadership

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<v Speaker 2>resources you can download and start using today. And be

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<v Speaker 2>sure and check out my YouTube channel. Link is in

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<v Speaker 2>the description of the show and also on my website.

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<v Speaker 2>This has been the seven in at Leadership podcast and

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<v Speaker 2>I thank you for listening.

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<v Speaker 1>For more Paul fell of Alito podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot com.