"Neuro-collaboration": The neuroscience of successful collaboration

Understanding neuroscience (the study of the brain and nervous system) could bring valuable insights for developing collaborative leadership and offer practical ways to connect, communicate and co-create effectively across the sectors. Let’s explore.

The human brain: A blueprint for connection

The human brain is the most complex bit of kit in the known universe:  As Brown and Brown note, “every one of us has a brain that is essentially similar to every other brain on the planet and yet completely unique” (Brown and Brown 2015).   The brain has the tough job of regulating our bodily systems, managing emotions, and making each of us the person that we are.

We come into the world with five senses, but we lack a specific “sense” for intuitively understanding others. As the brain is deeply associated with the management of relationships, the need to understand and leverage the implications of neuroscience for effective collaboration becomes even more critical.

The social brain in collaboration

Humans are inherently social creatures, and our brains are wired for interaction.  Recent neuroscientific studies reveal the importance of highly inclusive collaboration.  To succeed, we must learn to navigate polarities, celebrate differences, and unite teams around purpose-driven goals.

When collaborating, our brains constantly process the actions, emotions, and thoughts of those around us. Different regions of our brains allow us to understand others’ intentions, empathise with them, and adjust our behaviour accordingly.

This “social brain network” is finely tuned to pick up on subtle cues which help us understand the emotional state of our teammates, such as facial expressions and body language.  By paying attention to these signals, leaders can foster authentic harmony and team spirit within their groups.

Oxytocin:  The neurotransmitter of trust

“The joy of collaboration comes from undertaking purpose-driven work with a trusted team.”

One of the most important neurochemical players in collaboration is oxytocin, often referred to as the "trust hormone" or "bonding hormone." Oxytocin plays a critical role in forming and strengthening social bonds. It is released during positive social interactions and through collaborative work. Studies have shown that oxytocin levels increase when individuals work together toward a common goal, leading to a greater sense of trust and cooperation.

The joy of collaboration comes from undertaking purpose-driven work with a trusted team. Both trust and purpose stimulate oxytocin production, which in turn engenders a happy state. High oxytocin levels can also enhance empathy, reduce stress, and foster a greater sense of belonging in the team – all of which bolsters a collaborative approach to risk, resilience and tolerance for ambiguity when tackling complexity.

Synchronisation of brainwaves

Another remarkable aspect of neuro-collaboration is the synchronisation of brain activity. When people collaborate, their brainwaves can synchronize in a phenomenon known as neural coupling. Research has shown that when individuals work together on a task, their brain activity becomes more aligned, particularly in regions associated with communication and problem-solving.  When we collaborate, we can dial up inter-brain synchronicity and "be on the same wavelength" to access the emergent power of the collaborative “system” we have co-created with diverse partners.

This synchronisation can enhance understanding, improve the flow of ideas, and make it easier for group members to coordinate their efforts. It is believed that the synchronization of brainwaves reflects a shared mental state, allowing them to process information more efficiently as they work toward a common goal.

Whilst we reap the benefits of synchronization in collaboration, we of course benefit from diversity of thought and perspectives. “Rebel” ideas are embraced, and we celebrate different ways of thinking (left brain for logic, right brain for creativity) amongst partners to help solve complex issues and to challenge “groupthink” within the successful collaborative team of players.

The impact of emotions on collaboration

Emotions are contagious and play a powerful role in collaboration, both positively and negatively. Positive emotions, such as joy, excitement, and enthusiasm, fuel creativity, motivation, and drive to succeed.  Negative emotions, on the other hand, such as frustration, anxiety, fear, shame, anger, or distrust, hinder collaboration by impairing cognitive function and communication.

Trust is the most fundamental of the attachment emotions, creating energy that can flow outwards to achieve challenging goals.  However, we need to be aware that our “Savannah” brains are still wired so that threat and survival emotions are stronger than reward ones.  So, we should be aware of this and seek to minimise the threat to our co-collaborators as far as possible.

The brain's amygdala, responsible for processing emotions, is particularly active in social situations. When collaborating, the amygdala helps individuals assess emotional cues from others, such as tone of voice,  facial expressions and body language, to determine how to respond. If emotions run high during a collaboration, the amygdala may trigger a stress or threat response, which can impede clear thinking and decision-making.

Emotional response is not always detrimental to collaboration, though. In some cases, emotional responses based on intuition can signal to team members that a situation requires attention or intervention. When managed effectively, emotions can serve as valuable information that guides collaboration, prompting individuals to adjust their strategies or offer support to other team members.

The power of shared attention and focus

One of the most striking aspects of collaboration is that it requires individuals to focus their attention collectively on a shared task.  Where to focus is arguably one of the most important decisions that a leader must make.   In cross-sector collaborations, where outcomes are “greater than the sum of their parts”, the brain has mechanisms that allow for shared attention, enabling individuals to pool cognitive resources and work together toward a common vision.  A key leadership skill here, which underscores collective attention, is deep and generative listening – the ability to truly hear and integrate diverse perspectives.

When individuals focus on the same goal, their brains synchronize in a way that facilitates smooth communication and task execution. Shared attention also enhances the sense of group identity, as collaborators begin to view the task as a collective effort rather than an individual pursuit.  In the most successful collaborations, individual egos remain quieter.

Great minds do not think alike

Our dive into the neuroscience of collaboration reveals that the power of collaboration can be augmented according to how well our very different brains work together.  Developing a better understanding of the neuroscience behind collaboration and acting on it is imperative so that we can design environments, collaborative teams and practices that will foster the best collaborative conditions to guarantee success.

From the social brain network that helps us develop awareness of ourselves and others’ emotions to the oxytocin that fosters trust, neuroscience shows us that the human brain is biologically primed for collaboration. The synchronisation of brainwaves and the impact of emotions all contribute to making cross-sector collaboration a powerful, complex problem-solving approach that our society urgently needs to adopt to solve some of our most pressing wicked problems.

In 2024, we designed the ground-breaking Advanced Collaborative Leadership Programme at WIG to enhance and develop leaders’ cross-sector leadership capabilities. During our recent second module of the programme, we took a dive into the Neuroscience of Collaboration, joined by Neuroscience expert Hilary Scarlett (Neuroscience for Organizational Change, 2019).

Applications are now open for the 2025-2026 cohort.

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