Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Improve strategy, influence, and decision-making by understanding your brain | Evan LaPointe (founder of CORE Sciences)

Aug 11, 2024

In a fascinating discussion, guest Joe Hudson, an executive coach for leaders from companies like OpenAI and SpaceX, dives into emotional awareness and decision-making. He talks about how understanding our brains can lead to better collaboration, productivity, and creativity. Hudson emphasizes confronting the inner critic to foster personal growth and integrate gratitude practices for team well-being. He also encourages personal experimentation in decision-making, urging listeners to find joy in their work to enhance overall productivity.

02:14:39

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Joe Hudson

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Quick takeaways

Understanding the three systems of the brain can enhance influence, decision-making, and collaboration in personal and professional environments.

Embracing and expressing all emotions, instead of suppressing them, is crucial for personal growth and informed decision-making.

Incorporating daily gratitude practices can transform one’s emotional perspective, fostering positivity and connections while increasing overall life satisfaction.

Deep dives

The Impact of Unaddressed Emotions

Many people strive for a fulfilling life but often find themselves feeling stuck due to unresolved emotions. Rather than confronting and expressing these feelings, individuals typically try to avoid them, which ironically brings those same emotions closer into their lives. This avoidance often results in a critical inner voice, reinforcing feelings of inadequacy and discontent. Embracing and allowing oneself to feel every emotion, rather than suppressing them, is essential for personal growth and fulfillment.

Unmask the Narrative: Discover Your True Self

02:06

Gratitude Transforms Through Connection

01:48

Acknowledge Your Inner Critic

00:54

Embrace Disappointment to Elevate Decision-Making

01:26

Intro

3min

Confronting the Critical Inner Voice

7min

Navigating the Inner Critic: Emotional Awareness and Growth

21min

Confronting Emotional Avoidance in Leadership

7min

The Power of Personal Experimentation in Decision-Making

3min

The Power of Enjoyment in Productivity

21min

Crafting Personal Principles for Effective Decision-Making

2min

Enhancing Decision-Making Through Emotions and Principles

13min

The Transformative Power of Gratitude and Experiential Learning

4min

Evan LaPointe is the founder of CORE Sciences, which teaches companies and individuals how our brains work and how that translates to improved collaboration, better products, faster decision-making, and more growth. Previously, Evan was the co-founder of Satellite, the fourth-largest analytics product on the internet today (it mostly runs behind the scenes, and pretty much everyone listening will have used it today without knowing it), which was acquired by Adobe, where he later ran product strategy, innovation, and long-range thinking for Adobe’s digital experiences business. In our conversation, we discuss:

• The three different systems of the brain

• How knowing this can help you become more influential

• How understanding different brain states will help you increase productivity and creativity

• How to improve your vision and strategy skills

• How to design a work environment that fosters innovation

• How to build better relationships at work

• Much more

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Use discount code “LENNY” for $5 off the CORE Sciences personality profile: https://www.core-sciences.com/new-core-identity

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Brought to you by:

• Webflow—The web experience platform

• Explo—Embed customer-facing analytics in your product

• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments

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Find the transcript and references at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/understanding-your-brain-evan-lapointe

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Where to find Evan LaPointe:

• X: https://x.com/evanlapointe

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanlapointe/

• Website: https://www.core-sciences.com/

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Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Evan’s background

(02:37) Understanding the brain’s complex systems

(07:17) The three core brain systems: safety, reward, and purpose

(11:03) Applying brain science to team dynamics

(14:27) The role of personality in team performance

(17:27) Creating effective work environments

(23:16) The science of meetings and decision-making

(29:35) Enhancing strategy and vision

(54:46) Understanding personality traits in strategy and vision

(58:58) Tactical tips for increasing openness

(01:05:46) Building influence and effective relationships

(01:21:17) The importance of trust and appeal in relationships

(01:36:47) Creating a positive organizational habitat

(01:50:35) Enhancing focus and productivity

(02:00:58) Practical tips for deep work and gamma time

(02:07:11) Lightning round

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

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