Helen Fisher

Neuroscientist and biological anthropologist Helen Fisher distinguishes four broad styles of thinking and behaving, based on the brain systems for dopamine, serotonin, testosterone and estrogen/oxytocin:

• Explorers — Individuals primarily expressive of the dopamine system tend to seek novelty and tolerate risk. Curious, energetic, spontaneous, optimistic, and mentally flexible, explorers are most likely to innovate with new concepts.
• Builders — Individuals primarily expressive of the serotonin system tend to like plans, routines, schedules and traditions. They are meticulous, rule-observing, self-controlled, modest, and display logistical intelligence.
• Directors — Individuals primarily expressive of testosterone tend to be experimental, direct, decisive, tough-minded, skeptical, and exacting. Directors excel at strategic intelligence and are most likely to invent new technical devices.
• Negotiators — Individuals primarily expressive of estrogen excel at verbal and people skills. Intuitive, imaginative, diplomatic, and big picture thinkers, negotiators are particularly likely to innovate with new services.

In this customizable speech, Dr. Fisher will use her Fisher Temperament Inventory — taken by over 14 million people in 40 countries and the only personality questionnaire built from and validated by neuroscience (using fMRI) — to show how knowledge of these biologically-based personality styles can be used to more effectively:

• Build Teams and Partnerships
• Spark Innovation
• Lead
• Teach and learn
• Advertise, Sell, and Market

Dr. Fisher provides detailed data — based on the newest  neuroscience — on how to recognize and connect with each of these four temperament styles, including: what to avoid; how materials should be presented; the words and body language to employ; each type’s strongest skill set; how to recognize signs of trouble when interacting with each personality style; and how individuals of each temperament dimension are predisposed to think and behave at work and outside of work.

Worried about the bottom line? There’s a potent resource nearby. Using her brain scanning studies (fMRI) and her questionnaire now taken by 14 million people in 40 countries, neuroscientist and biological anthropologist Helen Fisher reports that as women move into the paid workforce around the world, they bring some innate–and powerful–talents to a contemporary business climate that needs these female skills. But women vary in how they use their biologically-based capacities to lead. So Fisher dissects basic, yet profound, gender differences in the brain and behavior to show how the sexes think, act and lead differently, how different types of women naturally lead in different ways, and how women’s ancient abilities are becoming priceless assets to the modern bottom line.

History is filled with innovators who fit these personality styles. From George Washington, Beethoven and Albert Einstein to Gloria Steinem, Mike Pence, Steve Jobs and Bill Clinton, different kinds of people will innovate in different creative ways. In “The Neuroscience of Innovation,” Dr. Helen Fisher shows how you can capitalize on your own style of creativity and reach into the minds of others — to work effectively together and stimulate innovation. Drawing from her own innovation, the Fisher Temperament Inventory — the first and only personality questionnaire built from and validated by neuroscience (using fMRI brain scanning) — neuroscientist and biological anthropologist Dr. Fisher discusses:

• The four basic biological styles of thinking and behaving, each linked with one of four broad neurochemical systems in the brain: the dopamine, serotonin, testosterone and estrogen systems.
• The role of brain biology and personality in innovation
• The natural composition of teams

Dr. Fisher explores how each personality “type” is predisposed to innovate and suggests how to stimulate your own natural innovative style.

Is technology changing love? Is monogamy natural? Why do you fall in love with one person rather than another? How can you use neuroscience to keep love alive? And where are we headed in our digital age.

Anthropologist and neuroscientist Dr. Helen Fisher uses her brain scanning work (fMRI) to discuss three brain systems that evolved for mating and reproduction–the sex drive; romantic love; and attachment; and maintains that these basic mating instincts will not alter due to Internet dating. But the Internet is changing how we court and who we choose.  Hooking up? Friends with Benefits? Polyamory?

Fisher then uses her data on 35,000 single Americans to explain modern dating tactics—from Millennials to Seniors—and the newest trend in courtship, what she calls “slow love.” She also proposes that humanity has evolved four broad basic styles of thinking and behaving which draw us naturally toward one person rather than another—in love and business. And she discusses the biological underpinnings of love at first sight, love addiction, adultery and divorce. Last she shows some of the brain circuitry of long-term romantic happiness and explains how to use neuroscience to keep love alive.

How can you reach colleagues and customers, spark innovation, build better teams and lead more effectively – using brain science? Helen Fisher, PhD biological anthropologist and neuroscientist, shows you how to reach into the minds of others to win friends and influence people. We are walking billboards of who we really are. A person’s Linked-in profile, their emails, twitter posts and Facebook pages – even their doodles – say a lot about their specific biological style of thinking and behaving. Empathy, for example, is expressed very differently by different kinds of people. High testosterone individuals will rush into a burning building to save absolute strangers, while a high serotonin person may spend time helping in a soup kitchen due to their feelings of social duty, and the high estrogen type will express their empathy largely toward intimate family and friends. Different biologically-based styles of thinking are associated with different forms of empathy, but all evolved millions of years ago for the survival of the group.

Fisher trains you to read people’s hidden messages (and agendas) using her brain scanning studies (fMRI) and data from her questionnaire (now taken by over 14 million people). Utilizing data from over 30,000 men and women, Fisher then shows you how to use specific words, phrases and conversation styles to connect with them. As she said in the March 2017 issue of the Harvard Business Review: “When you know the brain, you can reach anyone.”