The Neuroscience of Innovation: Curiosity, Safety, and Leading with Heart with Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa.

Get in touch with us! We’d appreciate your feedback and comments. "Innovation starts when we get curious about ourselves—then the world." - Dr Chika Oriuwa In this episode, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa unpacks the neuroscience behind resilience, creativity, and compassionate leadership. Discover how to activate curiosity, build high-performing teams, and lead with both emotional intelligence and innovation. What if the key to high-impact leadership isn"t toughness or talent—but curiosity, compassion, and your brain"s capacity to connect? Key Takeaway Insights and Tools The Innovation Blueprint – 3-Step Leadership Framework Dr. Oriuwa introduces her model: Prime your mind through curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking; ignite innovation in others through compassionate leadership; and harmonize collective genius through psychological safety. Curiosity Fuels Innovation via Dopamine Curiosity activates the brain’s discovery domain (default mode network), releasing dopamine and creating intrinsic motivation for learning and innovation. Creativity = Risk + Pattern Recognition Great creativity happens when we find invisible strings between unrelated ideas. Encourage it by taking small risks daily and prioritizing quality sleep to support REM-stage insight. Cognitive + Emotional Empathy in Leadership Emotionally intelligent leaders access both emotional and cognitive empathy—staying connected without being overwhelmed. This balance boosts trust while protecting resilience. Psychological Safety Is Neurobiological Fear-based leadership activates the amygdala and shuts down creativity. Compassionate leadership, however, promotes oxytocin, clarity, and trust—enabling high performance under pressure. Critical Thinking Relies on Intellectual Humility Dr. Oriuwa breaks down how challenging assumptions and staying open to new perspectives sharpens decision-making and leadership adaptability. Mirror Neurons and Culture Contagion Authenticity and compassion trigger mirror neurons, spreading emotional safety and high standards across teams—creating resilient, human-centered cultures. Bio Dr. Chika Stacey Oriuwa is a Canadian physician, award-winning author, and spoken word poet who made history as the first Black woman to be sole valedictorian at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine. A first-generation Nigerian-Canadian, she’s a prominent advocate for mental health, equity, and system change. Her debut memoir, Unlike the Rest: A Doctor’s Story, was released in 2024 by HarperCollins. She is currently completing her psychiatry residency with a focus on neuropsychiatry and forensic medicine. Follow her work via HarperCollins or by searching @chikaoriuwa. BooksUnlike the Rest: A Doctor’s Story – A Case Study In Corporate Fear "A Case Study in Corporate Fear" deconstructs how fear transforms successful... Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show Sign up for the weekly IT"S AN INSIDE JOB NEWSLETTER takes 5 seconds to fill out receive a fresh update every Wednesday