Jill Bolte Taylor—Harvard neuroscientist—on brain, emotions, trauma, resilience, creativity, and leadership for whole brain, whole team living.
“Real change starts with understanding the brain.”
“There are four distinct ‘characters’ in your brain (left/right logic and emotion). True healing, creativity, resilience and leadership flow from learning, balancing, and consciously cooperating between all four.”
“There are four distinct ‘characters’ in your brain (left/right logic and emotion). True healing, creativity, resilience and leadership flow from learning, balancing, and consciously cooperating between all four.”
Direct Quotes & The 4 Characters
“We have four distinct characters—left/right thinking, left/right emotion. The future of humanity is their collaboration.”
“When I lost my left brain to stroke, I existed only in the present. Joy, connection, and awe replaced identity and language.”
“The left brain is past/future, achievement, structure; the right brain is present, connection, creativity. Whole Brain Living brings lasting healing and insight.”
CEO Strategy: 4-Brain Model & Leadership
- The Four Brain Characters:
– Character 1 (Left Logic): Order, planning, competitive leadership (“Type A” manager)
– Character 2 (Left Emotion): Fear, anxiety, habits, drama (“Inner child/trauma circuit”)
– Character 3 (Right Emotion): Play, joy, intuition, improvisation (“In the now, creative self”)
– Character 4 (Right Logic): Connection, unity, love, awe (“Transcendent, integrative self”) - Balance/Collaboration: “Teams and leaders must honor and draw out all four voices. That’s how resilience and group creativity explode.”
- Change pathway: “Recognize each character’s pattern in self/others. For decisions, hold a ‘Whole Brain Boardroom’—let each side contribute.”
“Even trauma/negativity is just Character 2. Don’t suppress—bring it to the table, integrate for innovation and healing.”
Action Q&A & Key Quotes
Q: How do you actually heal trauma and self-regulate?
“Trauma loops are locked in left emotional (Character 2) circuits. Step out, tap your Character 3/4—reset patterns, healing begins.”
“The 90-second rule: Any emotion only physiologically lasts 90 seconds—after that, you are choosing (often unconsciously) to keep it alive.”
“The 90-second rule: Any emotion only physiologically lasts 90 seconds—after that, you are choosing (often unconsciously) to keep it alive.”
Q: What changed most after your stroke?
“When my left brain went offline, I lost language, ego, past. But I gained present moment bliss and awe—’I’m alive’ is the biggest gift.”
Q: How does this apply to teams/creative leadership?
“Make space for all four characters in your teams. Value others’ play/creativity/insight—true organizational strength comes from Whole Brain Leadership.”
5-line Advice/Implementation Tips (Final Guide)
- Identify and name your four brain characters (left/right logic, left/right emotion) right now.
- Remember the “90 second rule” in emotional storms—practice shifting to another inner ‘character’ at will.
- For big decisions, picture a “Whole Brain Boardroom”—invite all four aspects to voice.
- If you lead a team, deliberately cultivate room for everyone’s “Character 3/4” (creativity, play, connection) to show up.
- The goal is harmony, not perfection—real innovation and recovery happen when you integrate every inner and outer voice.
Conclusion—Understanding the Brain Enables Change
“We are not robots but living, connected, feeling organisms.
Real healing and innovation come from knowing and rebalancing all parts of your brain.
Whole Brain Living is the next frontier for real leaders and real teams.”