Brain Aware Podcast
The Brain Aware Podcast, exploring the science of success. We harness the power of human biology to help people—and organizations—rise to their potential. Join internationally recognized thought leader Dr. Britt Andreatta and talent strategist Justin Reinert as they explore the neuroscience behind today's workplace challenges, like change, teams, and leadership.
Each episode unpacks actionable insights from cutting-edge research to help you create environments for people to do their best work. Whether you’re an executive, people leader, talent professional, or lifelong learner, you’ll walk away with tools you can use today. Listen to become more brain aware.
Brain Aware Podcast
Change is Emotional: How Great Leaders Build Trust Through Transitions
What happens when military discipline meets Hollywood creativity and Silicon Valley innovation? Naphtali Bryant brings this unique perspective to our conversation about leadership in times of unprecedented change.
Drawing from his diverse background as a Marine Corps veteran and former HR executive at Netflix and Warner Brothers, Naphtali shares powerful insights about navigating uncertainty with both strength and humanity. His journey from growing up without a father to becoming one himself parallels his professional evolution—learning to guide others through what you haven't experienced yourself.
"Change gets easier when you lead with truth and trust," Naphtali explains, unpacking how our brains process transitions. He illuminates why people resist change even when they intellectually understand its necessity. The conversation explores practical frameworks like the Bridges Model of Transition and delves into the neuroscience of habit formation, revealing why "awareness without practice doesn't rewire anything."
As AI transforms the workplace, Naphtali describes his role as "builder, storyteller and translator," helping leaders cut through complexity to create meaningful change. He shares candid advice for talent development professionals considering the leap from internal to external consulting, emphasizing intentionality and differentiation as keys to success.
Throughout our discussion, Naphtali's warmth and wisdom shine through as he articulates a vision of leadership that balances high performance with human connection. Whether you're navigating organizational change, personal transformation, or the shifting landscape of AI, this conversation offers practical strategies for leading with both clarity and compassion.
Join us to discover how the principles of human-centered leadership can help you and your team not just survive change, but thrive through it. Connect with Naphtali on LinkedIn or through his newsletter "Lift the Room" to continue learning from his unique perspective.
Welcome to the Brain Aware podcast, where we explore the science of success. Today, we have an incredible conversation in store with Naphtali Bryant, an executive coach and leadership development expert, who brings unique insights from his experiences at Netflix, warner Brothers and even the United States Marine Corps. Get ready for an engaging discussion about navigating change, building human-centered leadership and the transformative power of personal growth. Let's dive in.
Britt Andreatta:Hi, Naphtali, it's so great to connect with you again. You and I have we met a few years ago and we've just kind of stayed connected and I'm just so happy to have you on the podcast. Thank you for joining us. Thanks for having me, britt, connected, and I'm just so happy to have you on the podcast.
Naphtali Bryant:Thank you for joining us. Thanks for having me, Britt.
Britt Andreatta:Excited to be here. I'd love for our listeners to learn about you. Can you tell us about your background, your career journey and how you've ended up where you are now?
Naphtali Bryant:Yeah. Well, the way I look at it is I help successful leaders and teams grow to be the most high-performing and human-centered version of themselves so they can create greater impact in their workplaces and the world. I've spent the last 20 years working in-house at places like Netflix and Warner Brothers, leading HR, talent management and development, and now I'm an executive coach and consultant with RAC Leadership, where we coach some of the world's best leaders design bold, human-centered leadership development. My career has always revolved around helping people show up with more clarity, courage and connection, especially when the stakes are high. I also spent four years in the United States Marine Corps. I was in the military during 9-11, so some interesting military stories there. I spent a considerable amount of time in high-tech companies like ZoomInfo and Service Service Titan.
Britt Andreatta:Wow. Coming from a military family myself, thank you for your service. I know that it's a lifelong identity and connection to that community. So thank you.
Justin Reinert:Yes, thinking back on your career, you've probably gone through a lot of changes, so I'd love it if we could just kick off by if you would share one that is memorable, maybe one that went smoothly, or maybe one that was a little more challenging.
Naphtali Bryant:It's interesting when I think about change. There's all types of change, right. There's like personal changes, professional change, and for me, what a change that really stood out was the day I became a father to my now seven-year-old son, jeremiah. I grew up without my father and navigating this world of work and life without that male role model, but when I became a father, I had to step up, to become what I never had, and it's actually made me more human, more helpful, more hardworking than I've ever been before, and it's also helped me help leaders and teams lead through their own change, because that change has been so memorable in my life, just making that shift. I still don't know what I'm doing today as a father, but you know I'm working that out.
Britt Andreatta:Parenting is a humbling experience for anyone who is brave enough to take the plunge. I think it's a journey that some of us get to do, and I've certainly learned a lot from parenting, absolutely I'm curious what you say is one of your biggest lessons from that journey so far yeah, I think it's interesting because early in my career, you know, I got certified as, like, a change management practitioner through ProSci.
Naphtali Bryant:So ProSci, you know the leader in change management. They have a core framework called the ADCAR framework awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement. These practices help you navigate change. What I learned from making that shift from being just married with my wife and I to having my son Jeremiah is that change is emotional and you go through this change curve of emotions where you know there are times where I'm like what am I doing? There were times I was excited, there were times that I was sad because things are shifting and changing, but ultimately I got to the other side of that change, where it's like I'm now a father for the rest of my life and I can do this right, I can learn my way through it. So that's been some of the lessons that I've learned so far.
Britt Andreatta:And tell us about what you're up to right now. What are some of the big changes you're currently navigating or launching soon?
Naphtali Bryant:It's interesting because I feel like we're all navigating this chaos and disruption with AI and work shifting and changing as we know it, and part of some of the things that I'm up to is really helping leaders think about how to navigate that.
Naphtali Bryant:Ai is changing our field of talent development and leadership development and I'm exploring different ways leaders are impacted by that chaos and disruption, not only from the AI perspective, but just the new world of work, where I even think about like this idea of like leading hybrid teams. What does that even mean anymore? Leading hybrid teams used to be like I have some people in the office and some people remote, but now, with the introduction of AI, you might be working with AI agents. You might have tools and things that you never had before. You have to lead differently. Right now, my role is like builder, storyteller and translator, trying to make sense of that complexity and creating space for insight. One of the things that we do a lot is help leaders and teams gain insight and awareness so that they can turn that into some action and really remove a lot of the fluff that surrounds some of these big changes that are happening in our world.
Britt Andreatta:It's so great that you're working on that, because AI is dropping into everything. It's just a shiny new tool. People are throwing out a lot of stuff, but you need to be really intentional about your use, and it's another kind of emotional thing that people are navigating Absolutely.
Naphtali Bryant:Yeah, and it actually helped me recently book a cruise, britt. Like you know, we went on a cruiser this year as a family and there's, like you know, norwegian cruise line AI bot and I was like whoa, this is pretty crazy.
Justin Reinert:So, given your focus in your career in developing leaders, how does change play into the programs and the initiatives that you've driven in organizations.
Naphtali Bryant:The way I think about it is like every initiative that you do, whether it's coaching an executive leader, whether it's running a leadership development program, building talent management systems and tools every single one of those things is a change initiative. Let's just call it what it is right. Change is baked into everything, so we design experiences that prepare leaders to react to change, lead through it, grow through it, whether that's reorgs, cultural shifts or technological disruption that we're all experiencing right now. What I really try to think about is how can we equip leaders with the self-awareness and the practical tools they need to actually influence others through uncertainty. Change gets easier when you lead with truth and trust. Tell people we are making some changes. Things are going to be different in how we develop leaders, how we learn, so that people can get along with it pretty early.
Britt Andreatta:Yeah, absolutely. One of the things I talk about in the book is that, in the absence of a narrative, the brain is a meaning making machine, so it will create a story. The story is not given to you but because we're a survival being, it's always going to be worst case. So leaders really have to drive that narrative, or else people are going to spin out and, oh my gosh, the business is closing and we're doing mass layoffs when that's not what's happening. So, absolutely, that truth and trust is such a great thing for leaders to focus on.
Naphtali Bryant:And it's interesting, britt like the thing I think about, too is we all walk around with stories in our head, especially when change is happening. We're all making up these stories. So one of the things I like to help leaders think through is like what is your change story? Like what's the narrative that you are intentionally setting up to help your people connect to what's going on with this change and not be lost in that brain fog? Filling in the gaps?
Britt Andreatta:Yeah, that's great. Are there any other favorite tools that you love to bring in when you're working with leaders on change, something that you are like I can't wait to hand them this one, because it's going to really have an impact.
Naphtali Bryant:One of the most seminal works out there besides some of the work I've seen from yourself, britt is the bridges model of change. We think about transitioning from one side of the bridge where things are ending dealing with a level of loss and potential gain and trying to understand what that means for us. Then we get to that middle phase where it's this, you know this neutral zone, where it's kind of awkward and like what's happening here? Things are still in flux and in flight. And then you get to that other side of the bridge, which is the new beginning, where you start to get with the change and get more excited about the impact it's having on you, your team and the organization. So that's one of my favorite tools that I help leaders think through, like where are you at on that bridge, where's your team at?
Britt Andreatta:And how are you helping?
Justin Reinert:your team navigate to that other side of the bridge. That's great. I really like the bridges model of transition. I think it helps us think about how we go through that change. Similarly, if you think about as we're navigating change and we get to the middle point where we're like, all right, I'm going to try this, let's see if we can get on board, one of the things that Britt talks about in Wired to Resist is the role of the basal ganglia in building habits. In the transition, we start experimenting and we're starting to build some new habits. I'm curious how habit formation has played a role in change that you've led in the past.
Naphtali Bryant:It's interesting because leaders want transformation but the brain wants efficiency. Part of what we focus on in the work I do with RIC Leadership and the work I've done when I was internal is building those new leadership habits in their context, like feedback conversations, decision-making tools, simple experiments to try so that they can show up better under pressure and the way. I also think it's about linking insight to repetition and helping leaders and teams practice until it becomes default. Awareness without practice doesn't rewire anything. You just stay in some of the things that you constantly are doing. Before I was working with a leader this morning and helping her understand that leadership is a practice. You have to practice and make some shifts that are incremental so that you can rewire your brain to practice leadership better.
Britt Andreatta:Yeah, absolutely, and in fact the research shows that it takes 40 to 50 repetitions of something to really have the basal ganglia turned into a habit. People will talk about it, but they won't spend the time having people practice it and using training to practice it. Then, when they go back to their environment, they default to the old behavior. That practice and repetition, is how you get people across the bridge.
Naphtali Bryant:It's so powerful.
Britt Andreatta:I would love to hear what you're looking forward to, something you're excited about in the coming months. It can be professional or personal, but I'm just wondering what's got you lit up for what's ahead?
Naphtali Bryant:You know what's interesting, britt? Making this transition from being that internal consultant working with leaders and teams across the globe to now being an external consultant and partner. Personally, I'm loving this season of fatherhood with a seven-year-old and a four-year-old Jeremiah and Judah. There's so much curiosity and wonder in their eyes. It's summertime. We're always trying to figure out well, what do you do with the kids during the summer? Because we don't get the three months off like our kids do. So that's what I'm excited about.
Naphtali Bryant:On the personal front, being that father that I never had. Professionally, I'm excited about scaling our impact as a firm. Several of the executives and leadership teams I'm currently working with I'm seeing some real change. I'm leveraging that idea of repetition and experiments and rewiring how their brain is kind of thinking about their leadership as a practice. I also have some upcoming keynotes that I'm excited about in the fall and then really continuing to reimagine leadership, learning and team effectiveness through AI as a sidekick, as a thought partner, as an agent whatever they're calling it these days and also dabbling in potentially creating some tools of my own. Really, focus on not doing away with the great work that we all do in this space, but augmenting leadership so that we can continue to have leaders, teams and organizations that are human-centered.
Britt Andreatta:That's great. I'm starting to experiment with some AI stuff myself and it's really exciting and fun, and then also quickly overwhelming, yes. Yes, there's some amazing opportunities to play with it. I look forward to staying connected, because you're always a little bit ahead of me on that stuff, so I'm excited to see what you come up with.
Justin Reinert:Absolutely. You know, natalia, there's something you were just talking about but I would love to dig into because it's a topic we haven't talked about on the podcast yet. A lot of our audience I'm guessing the people listening are in talent development in some realm. I've known so many people over the past five years who have made that transition from internal to external and whether that is, you know, internal to external, going out on their own as a solopreneur, or internal to external, going on on their own as a solopreneur, or internal to external where they're joining another firm it seems like talent development is being outsourced more and more to make it flexible. I'm just curious that was a really long preamble as you've made that transition from internal to external, that being a change in itself. What are some things that have helped you successfully navigate that transition?
Naphtali Bryant:Yeah, it's a great question, right, because it is an interesting, scary, fun, challenging transition to really come to that place of like, hey, I think I want to go out on my own or partner with a firm, like I've partnered with RAC Leadership. A couple things come to my mind. One is being very intentional about what you are trying to achieve when you make that transition. What is the why? I'm a firm believer that when you grow with intent, you actually thrive by design. When I started to think about my shift leaving C-suite role working with George Lucas and Melody, into now working with teams and leaders across the globe, I asked myself what do I want out of this? What would I be doing if I knew the date and time that I would die is the question I asked myself sitting in an executive team meeting. The answer I came up with was really I'd be trying to make an impact on multiple teams and organizations across the world, doing what I love working with leaders, doing team effectiveness with senior leadership teams, coaching in a way that's human-centered, fun and exciting. So that's one bucket that I would say is being very intentional about what you're trying to get when you make that transition.
Naphtali Bryant:And the second thing I would say is, really, how do you think about what you might need to learn, making that shift? How are you thinking about the people you need to be surrounded by to support you in that? Who are the folks in the space that are doing it and doing it well, that you want in your corner, that you want on your team, and who are the folks that are going to be the truth tellers to help you understand? This is going to be challenging, but here's where you might need to focus.
Naphtali Bryant:That'd be bucket number two and I would say, like the third bucket is really about the long game, right, because I think when you're internal, there is this next rung, the next title, the next role that you're trying to get to, but when you're external, it is a long game. It is what Simon Sinek calls the infinite game, where you're really trying to build relationships, work with different organizations for a long time to come. So really taking that step back to think through, all right, this is a long game. How do I sustain for the long haul?
Britt Andreatta:Yeah, I will. I do not regret my transition from being I was internal for 20 years and loved it and had some really great career opportunities, but I do not regret for a second making the leap to be external. They have already identified that they need help and they are hungry for what you bring to the table. Sometimes, internally, you've got great ideas or you can see what the problem is, but the people above you also have their agendas and their ideas and I find that partnering with people when they're hungry really is this great co-creation, where you're bringing in your expertise, they've got their knowledge of the organization and you're sitting at the table together saying let's figure this out. I love the magic of that and also just the trust and how much you can accomplish. It's really quite rewarding.
Naphtali Bryant:And I love what folks like yourself have done, Britt. And another point I would make to folks making that shift is be differentiated. When I was internal working with different vendors, I saw a lot of sameness in the offerings and the ways that some vendors would approach their work. Be differentiated. I love what you're doing with the stuff around our brain. That's a very differentiated approach to really thinking about. How can you be brain aware in terms of the work that you're doing, how you're leading, how you're working with teams? So I would challenge anybody making that shift to take a step back and think about your brand. What's the way that you think about doing this work so that you can make the impact that you desire?
Britt Andreatta:I geek out on the stuff, so I'm just excited that people love geeking out on it with me. It's really quite fun.
Justin Reinert:Natali, thank you so much for joining us on the Brain Aware podcast. If people want to find you, learn more about your work, what's the best way for them to reach out?
Naphtali Bryant:Yeah, well, it's interesting. Linkedin is the number one way to get in touch with me. I regularly post on LinkedIn around leadership teams, coaching, coaching, and I also have a newsletter called Lift the Room, where I'm encouraging leaders, teams and organizations to make an impact, one room at a time. You can check me out on racleadershipcom. Our firm is really working with leaders teams across the globe to really drive more human-centered leadership and help leaders be the best version of themselves.
Britt Andreatta:I know you're busy and I so appreciate you being part of our inaugural season and sharing your wisdom and expertise with us and the listeners. Thank you so much, Naphtali.
Naphtali Bryant:Thank you, Britt. It is an honor, Love the work that you're doing. Continue to do great work and I'm happy to be a supporter of that work.
Britt Andreatta:Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Brain Aware podcast To learn more about brain aware training and our brain based approach to change.
