Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
Fearless Leadership (Part 2)
Barely a week after gantthead ran the first part of this story, there was a news report of new research showing where fear lives in the human brain. In essence, this research finding is that our survival strategy depends on the level of threats we perceive.
Hence, for threats that are perceived as more near or more real, the default reaction seems to be dominated by the (primitive) midbrain region, driving quick gut-level responses and survival mechanisms such as fight or flight, or even freezing. When threats are perceived to be more distant, the reaction is dominated by the prefrontal region, which enables exercise of a more measured response. This region helps coordinate escape strategies required in order to escape the threat.
The interesting application of this research finding is that perceived proximity of threat stimuli drives one fear responses, and reactions. (Any wonder then, why we have an oft-heard refrain that “only crises seem to get people to act”!)
Project managers might want to consider examining how they and the team in turn manage the presentation and communication of project risks (amongst, other threats that projects might face). Who would think fear, of all things, is something project managers should care about so deeply? Here are some practical pointers:
Managing to Expected Results: A realization that …
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