good takeaways from lenny x evan lapointe on how the brain works @ work

1. your brain has departments
most people default to the history department (what they already know). better ideas come from the science (experimentation), art (creativity), and humanities (empathy) departments.

2. three core brain systems
safety: activated by fear or uncertainty + shuts down collaboration
reward: focuses on incentives but can limit thinking
purpose: activated when you understand the impact of your work, which drives deeper, more connected thinking

3. strategy struggles come from low openness
if you're low in openness or high in conscientiousness, abstract or visionary ideas may feel uncomfortable. that doesn’t mean you can’t contribute: you just need help translating vision into concrete terms. reverse engineer from outcomes to improve understanding.

4. personality is not a weakness, but awareness matters
knowing your traits (big five: openness, conscientiousness, etc.) helps you work with others who think...