Your Brain is a See-Saw.
Think of the brain like a muscle: the more you use one region, the stronger its neural pathways become. But just like physical muscles, overuse of one set of pathways while neglecting others leads to imbalance. In the body, that can cause injury. As this relates to the brain, the damage shows up as poor communication, disjointed teamwork, and a struggle to articulate service value – to customers and to internal partners.
This is the consequence of reciprocal inhibition. And it’s not just metaphorical, it’s biological.
Neuroscience Confirms the Trade-Off
A groundbreaking study by Case Western Reserve University used fMRI imaging to confirm that the brain contains two dominant networks, which are in constant tension:
Task-Positive Network (TPN): Responsible for analytical reasoning, attention, and technical execution.
Default Mode Network (DMN): Responsible for social reasoning, empathy, and self-reflection.
Here’s the twist: these neural networks suppress each other. When one is engaged, the other is quiet. During mechanical problem-solving, the brain’s social cognition network deactivates. And during empathetic, people-centered tasks, the technical circuits go offline. This finding isn’t a theory – it’s observable in real time on brain scans.
Why That Matters for Field Service Leadership
Technical professionals – engineers, field reps, and technicians – spend years strengthening their task-positive neural circuitry. They become experts at fixing, diagnosing, and optimizing. But when they step into leadership or customer-facing roles that require empathy, big-picture communication, and influence across departments, their brains do not shift easily.
This is why so many transitions into leadership are bumpy and stressful – and why even technically competent leaders can struggle to build customer relationships, resist collaborating with sales, or shy away from connecting with the C-suite.
The Leadership Misstep We Keep Repeating
Traditionally, promotions in technical fields, and in military-to-civilian transitions, are based on expertise or tenure. While this recognizes competence, organizations often overlook whether individuals have developed the interpersonal muscle that leadership demands.
Reciprocal inhibition makes these transitions challenging. Without intentional development, technical professionals default to their strongest cognitive asset – their analytical, task-focused mindset – while their underdeveloped interpersonal skills remain dormant. The brain conserves energy by relying on familiar pathways, even when the situation demands something different. The result? Burnout, poor team morale, and inconsistent customer experience.
In Part 2, “Rewiring Technical Leadership for Engagement and Retention,” we’ll explore what your organization can do to alleviate the consequences of reciprocal inhibition with practical models, data-backed strategies, and neuroscience-informed training.