Our Story

In 2007, David and Lisa Rock and their team had been working in leadership development and executive coaching for ten years, when David coined the term “NeuroLeadership.” They realized that bringing a more concrete, science-based approach to growing soft skills would not just resonate with business leaders but also make any change initiative more effective.

That same year, what would become the NeuroLeadership Institute ran its first Summit in Asolo, Italy, convening business practitioners and brain scientists. Since then, Summits have been held across London, Sydney, San Francisco, DC and Boston before settling into its home in New York City. Tens of thousands of people now join the summit each year by live streaming.

2008 also saw the launch of the NeuroLeadership Journal.

In its first few years, NLI published the foundational papers in the field, including the first paper on the SCARF ® Model. We initially provided executive education, and then soon started to consult with firms based on demand, eventually helping launch a movement to do performance management without formal ratings.

After two and a half years of research, NLI launched the SEEDS Model ® in 2015, and a diversity and inclusion (D&I) practice was born. Soon after, NLI launched a culture and leadership practice, initially working with tech giants Intel, Microsoft, and IBM. It also gained deep expertise in growth mindset and helped many organizations transform culture. Around that same time, NLI introduced the distributed learning solution, a socialized learning methodology that allows large groups of people to learn and retain knowledge with little time commitment.

Going into 2020, we’re continuing to adapt, evolve, and listen for where people need us next.