• The neuroscience of feedback
• Feedback as a growth accelerator
• Authenticity and self-awareness in leadership
• “Clear is Kind” and giving tough feedback well
• Avoiding ambiguity to reduce stress and quiet quitting
• Empathy, credibility, and building trust with executives
• How to shift from reactive to resilient leadership
• Emotional regulation and the power of naming emotions
• Saying it out loud: the neuroscience of the production effect

00:00 — Intro: The feedback that changed everything
01:30 — Neuroscience of feedback: Why it feels like a punch
03:00 — Jessie's gut-punch moment as a new leader
05:20 — How feedback rewired her leadership style
07:10 — Authenticity, credibility, and executive trust
10:00 — “Clear is kind”—what most leaders get wrong
13:00 — Giving feedback with empathy
15:30 — The cost of avoiding feedback (and quiet quitting)
17:00 — Neuroscience: Ambiguity = cortisol = disengagement
18:30 — Claire’s 3S Tool: Scan. Shrink. Shift.
21:00 — Rapid-fire with Jessie
24:00 — Final tip: Say it out loud to regulate emotions
26:00 — Connect, share, subscribe CTA

• How feedback activates the brain’s threat response—and how to train your brain to handle it
• Why “clear is kind” might be the most important leadership rule you’re not using
• A neuroscience-backed 3-step tool (Scan. Shrink. Shift.) to regulate your reaction to feedback
• How Jessie Novey transformed her leadership style after one piece of unexpected criticism
• The link between ambiguity, cortisol, and disengaged teams (aka “quiet quitting”)
• How to give feedback that builds trust instead of fear

• The Say It Out Loud Rule (TEDx talk by Claire Hayek)
• HR Executive Forum, Minneapolis
• “Clear is Kind” – Brené Brown
• The Scan–Shrink–Shift tool for emotional regulation

Follow Claire on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/

Follow Jessie on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessienovey/

🎓 Want to train your brain for resilience and high performance?

Join Claire’s free Mental Fitness Masterclass here:👉 ⁠https://go.clairehayek.com/mental-fitness-masterclass⁠

📩 For free resources, upcoming masterclasses, or to join our next live webinar—click here:👉 ⁠https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠

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The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.