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نمایش مقاله

Title:

Neural Correlates of Leadership Functions: A Brain Mapping–Based Analysis within the Neuroleadership Framework

Subject:

Cognitive-Social Applications of Brain Mapping, such as talent identification, neuroleadership, and neurocognitive recruitment

Presenter Author:
Name:	Azin Golmoradizadeh

Author:
Name 1:	Azin Golmoradizadeh - Corresponding - Presenter
Affiliation 1:	M.Sc. Student in Cognitive Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

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Abstract

Original Research

introduction :

Leadership is a complex cognitive–social phenomenon that relies on the integration of executive control, emotional regulation, and social cognition. Neuroleadership has emerged as an interdisciplinary framework aiming to explain leadership behaviors through underlying neural mechanisms. By incorporating findings from cognitive and affective neuroscience, this approach seeks to provide biologically grounded explanations for leadership-related processes such as decision-making, stress regulation, and interpersonal influence. Recent advances in brain mapping techniques have enabled empirical investigation of these processes at the neural systems level. Recent developments in brain mapping techniques have enabled researchers to empirically investigate neural processes associated with leadership-related functions. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) allow for the examination of neural activation patterns and network-level interactions involved in decision-making under uncertainty, stress regulation, and social cognition. Despite growing interest in this area, there remains a need for integrative frameworks that systematically link brain mapping findings to core neuroleadership constructs. This study aims to examine the neural correlates of leadership functions through a brain mapping perspective within the neuroleadership framework.

Methods:

Methodology This study adopts a neurocognitive research framework integrating findings from brain mapping studies focused on leadership-related tasks. Data were derived from experimental paradigms commonly used in neuroimaging research, including decision-making under risk, emotion regulation, and social evaluation tasks. Brain activity was assessed using fMRI to capture task-related activation and functional connectivity, complemented by EEG measures to examine temporal dynamics of neural processing. Analyses focused on identifying activation patterns within prefrontal, limbic, and associative cortical regions, as well as connectivity among large-scale neural networks. Functional connectivity analyses were employed to evaluate interactions between the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, default mode network (DMN), and salience network. These neural markers were examined in relation to leadership-relevant cognitive and emotional functions as defined within neuroleadership theory.

Results:

Results The findings indicate that leadership-related functions are supported by coordinated activity across multiple neural systems. Increased activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was associated with enhanced executive control and strategic decision-making. Effective emotional regulation was characterized by reduced amygdala reactivity alongside increased top-down modulation from prefrontal regions. Network-level analyses revealed that functional connectivity within the default mode network was linked to self-referential processing and perspective-taking, while the salience network played a key role in detecting socially relevant stimuli and facilitating adaptive behavioral responses. EEG results demonstrated that leadership-related cognitive control was associated with increased frontal midline theta activity, reflecting sustained attention and conflict monitoring. Together, these findings suggest that leadership effectiveness is associated with distinct neural activation and connectivity profiles.

Conclusion:

Conclusion This study highlights the value of brain mapping approaches in advancing the scientific understanding of neuroleadership. The results support the view that leadership functions emerge from dynamic interactions among distributed neural networks rather than isolated brain regions. By linking neuroimaging evidence to core constructs of neuroleadership, this research contributes to the development of biologically grounded models of leadership behavior. Future research should employ longitudinal and ecologically valid designs to examine neural plasticity in leadership development. Integrating brain mapping findings with organizational and behavioral data may further enhance evidence-based leadership assessment and intervention strategies.

Keywords:

Neuroleadership – Brain Mapping – Neural Networks