NeuroEffective™ Leadership:
Transform the way you lead yourself and others.

Start Leading NeuroEffectively

The way we lead shapes lives, teams, and cultures. By learning how to lead in line with how the brain works, we create more thoughtful, resilient, and human workplaces.

Let NeuroEffective™ Leadership be your guide.

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“Your brain is the driving force behind every thought, memory, emotion and behaviour that you have had or ever will have – wouldn’t it be useful to know how to work with it, rather than against it?”

What do we mean by NeuroEffective™ Leadership?

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NeuroEffective™ Leadership is about leading in a way that aligns with how the brain actually works — both yours and others’. It’s a practical, science-based approach to becoming a more self-aware, emotionally intelligent, and impactful leader.

Many leaders unknowingly sabotage their effectiveness by acting in ways that clash with the brain’s natural processes. Whether it’s inconsistent behavior, emotional outbursts, or favoritism, these actions often stem from a lack of understanding — not bad intentions.

This book offers a solution. Drawing on over a decade of work in applied neuroscience, leadership, and coaching, NeuroEffective™ Leadership bridges the gap between brain science and everyday leadership challenges. It equips leaders with tools that are not only effective — they’re NeuroEffective™.

What are people saying about the book?

“I loved this book, it is a leader’s dream handbook as it explains the concept, helps the reader reflect, and provides highly practical advice that can be used in the workplace. I particularly like that each chapter is standalone, allowing the reader to dip in and out to suit their need at the time. Sara Wright, Associate Fellow, Oxford Saïd Business School and founder of Navigating Choices

Sara Wright • Associate Fellow • Oxford Saïd Business School and founder of Navigating Choices

“An understanding of how the brain works, and how we can consciously choose to behave in ways that make us as effective as possible is probably the most important learning a practising leader can have. The trainings run by Ian McDermott, which I attended in the 90’s, helped me identify how to make links between the ‘science’ offered by new neuroscience insights becoming available, and coaching and leadership development theory. Meeting Patricia Riddell enabled me to understand the science in the most accessible way. The MSc in Coaching and Behavioural Change at Henley reflected this thinking when we developed it in 2004. I would suggest that this new book, NeuroEffective™ Leadership, is an essential read for anyone wishing to operate as a more effective human being.”

Patricia Bossons PhD • Founder • Henley Centre for Coaching and Behavioural Change

“Leadership is at the heart of any organisation. In this excellent book the complex behaviour of executive leadership is explained with a fresh and practical approach. By explaining the various facets of the brain, the authors give a clear understanding of what is driving the behaviour of the executive, with examples of how to positively rectify adverse behaviour to achieve a better result.”

John Jackson • Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA)

“Getting to grips with an emerging field of science requires an expert guide. Tricia Riddell and Ian McDermott have provided a guide for us all, enabling us to understand the field, ourselves and how to become better leaders. That is why this book is invaluable.”

David Pendleton • Professor in Leadership • Henley Business School

“Everyone, irrespective of their leadership experience, can learn from this book. Patricia Riddell and Ian McDermott expertly combine evidence-based neuroscience with their extensive experience of leadership to explain in clear terms how, why, and where the ideas, tools, and techniques in this book work. If you have time to read only one book on leadership, this is the book I recommend.”

Mandy Geal • Founder of Learning Partners

“NeuroEffective™ Leadership provides a deep dive into understanding the emerging science of the brain and how we as leaders can leverage this understanding to enhance our understanding of ourselves and our relationships with others. This book is a practical guide for today’s neuro-informed leaders from today’s neuroscience experts.”

Jonathan Passmore • Professor of Coaching and Behavioural Change • Henley Business School

Why Should Leaders Read This Book?

Because leadership isn’t just about performance — it’s about people. And people are powered by brains.

Understanding how the brain works helps you:

  • Lead yourself with clarity and confidence
  • Handle stress and decision-making more effectively
  • Build trust and empathy in your teams
  • Communicate and inspire with greater impact
  • Navigate diversity, emotions, and conflict with skill

This book demystifies the science and makes it usable, without requiring a PhD in neuroscience. It’s filled with tools, tips, and insights that are rooted in rigorous research and tested in the real world.

What’s Inside the Book?

The book is structured in two clear parts:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 1:
Leading Self

  • Understand your own reactions and behaviours
  • Discover how change happens through neuroplasticity
  • Build inner confidence and resilience
  • Manage stress and improve well-being
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Part 2:
Leading Others

  • Learn how leadership affects the brain — yours and your team’s
  • Build psychologically safe, high-trust teams
  • Embrace diversity and foster inclusion
  • Use empathy and emotional intelligence effectively
  • Communicate in ways that stick and inspire
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Who is this
Book For?

Whether you’re:

  • An experienced leader wanting to deepen your impact
  • An emerging leader seeking guidance
  • Or a coach or professional helping others lead well

This book is for you.

What Makes This Book Different?

Unlike dense academic texts or feel-good self-help guides, NeuroEffective™ Leadership is:

  • Grounded in current neuroscience
  • Filled with real-world applications
  • Designed to be accessible to everyone
  • Continuously refined over 10+ years of working with leaders across industries

You’ll gain insights that help you act differently — not just think differently.

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Meet the Authors

Patricia Riddell

Patricia Riddell is a Professor of Applied Neuroscience and consultant neuroscientist who teaches applied neuroscience in business schools worldwide. She has a reputation for making complex neuroscience accessible.

Ian McDermott

Ian McDermott is an international consultant and thought leader. Over the past 20 years he has pioneered, designed, and delivered Coach Approach Leadership programs for organizations ranging from mining to banking to NGOs. Much of his time is spent working with CEOs and top teams plus working with HNW families to facilitate family governance and successful succession planning.

Together Patricia and Ian have drawn on their different expertise in neuroscience principles and best leadership practice, to create new ways of working and thinking about leadership. These are grounded in current neuroscience and immediately useable when dealing with real leadership challenges. They co-created the Applied Neuroscience Programme so that these ways of working can be made available to anyone who wants them.