Zebras and Lions in the Workplace An interview with Dr. Robert Sapolsky

R Sapolsky, M Reynolds International Journal of Coaching in Organizations 2006

When it comes to understanding why people do what they do, we cannot ignore the biological reasons for behavior. leaders need to take into consideration physiological responses both in the environments they create and the requests they make to individuals within the organization. This interview explores the effects of stress on productivity and learning. it includes what are optimal levels of stress, how to create a “benevolent environment” that encourages risk-taking and innovation, and how to deal with our mental wiring that promotes the resistance to change. as a result, coaches can help their clients “re-create” their organizations to be more successful and more humane.