The way people think, respond, connect and adapt has a powerful impact on leadership, culture and performance. This course explores how neuroscience can be applied to everyday leadership behaviours, helping managers and emerging leaders better understand motivation, engagement, change resistance, self-awareness, emotional intelligence and the social dynamics of the workplace.

Is this course right for you?

This course is designed for managers, leaders and emerging managers who want to incorporate the emerging field of neuroscience into their leadership behaviours.

It may be right for you if you:

  • Lead or manage people
  • Are an emerging manager building your leadership capability
  • Want to better understand employee engagement and motivation
  • Need practical strategies to support change and reduce resistance
  • Want to strengthen leadership self-awareness and emotional intelligence
  • Are interested in shaping culture through a deeper understanding of human behaviour

What you’ll explore

This course examines the principles of neuroleadership in the workplace and provides strategies and tools to develop and lead your team and organisation.

  • Understand the practice of neuroleadership and the fundamentals of neuroanatomy
  • How leadership behaviours impact upon the neurobiology of employee engagement
  • Culture and the Head / Heart / Hands model of leadership
  • Recognise why reward is critical to team and individual motivation, and how you can leverage it effectively
  • Understand the impact of environment, and how you can design your organisation to optimise performance and engagement
  • Understanding the basic human needs at work, and how they impact on the execution of strategic and operational business, particularly change management
  • Apply practical and effective actions to build neuroleadership into daily leadership practice

Benefits to You and Your Organisation

  • Increase self-awareness and incorporate neuroscience principles into personal leadership mindsets and behaviours
  • Understand and influence employee and team workplace values and behaviours
  • Strategically work in a way that delivers results by understanding key human drivers and behaviours to shape culture
  • Build a working environment that aligns with human motivation
  • Support effective decision making, action orientation and a collaborative culture of achievement

Should Attend

Managers, leaders and emerging managers who want to incorporate the emerging field of neuroscience into their leadership behaviours.

Group Bookings

**For groups of five or more, IPAA SA can tailor the training to suit your organisation. Group bookings may also be eligible for a preferential rate. Complete the form, and our team will be in touch to discuss options. **

Learn about our speakers

Samantha Young M.Psych. (Clin.), M.B.A, B.A. (Hons.), MAPS, GAICD

Co-Founder Humn / Clinical Psychologist
Humn

Samantha brings a unique combination of senior management and commercial experience, psychological intervention skills and Masters-level formal education in both business and psychology to her clinical, training, coaching and consulting work. Sam has delivered training for IPAA for over ten years with consistently positive participant feedback and is a sought after facilitator and keynote speaker, working with hundreds of employees and managers every year. The 21st Manager series designed by Sam in conjunction with IPAA incorporates the latest in psychological research, leadership theory and neuroscience and is now in its tenth year.

Samantha has worked as a Consultant with Boston Consulting Group, Sales & Marketing Manager for The Body Shop and Strategy Manager for Myer GraceBros. Samantha holds Bachelor and Postgraduate qualifications in business and psychology, including a Master Degree in Clinical Psychology and an MBA from Melbourne University. Samantha has completed the Company Director’s Course and is a member of the Australian Psychological Society.

Samantha was until recently CEO of Human Psychology, one of Adelaide’s largest psychological services providers, and is now co-Founder of Humn, a global movement redefining workplace mental health, where genuine care meets innovative leadership through psychosocial safety certification. Humn's mission is to safeguard wellbeing in every workplace. Samantha has extensive experience consulting to the SA public sector over nearly two decades and she is able to share real world scenarios to make workshops practical, applied and engaging.

Upcoming course availability

In person

November 2026

Tuesday, 03 November 2026

Register now

Format
Face-to-face

Duration
1 half-day
9:00am-12:30pm (8:45am registration)

Competency framework
First Line Manager Common/Core (AS02-AS05)
Middle Manager Common/Core (AS06-AS08)

(this competency framework is provided as a guide only)

Inclusions
Workbook, resources, morning tea and refreshments

Location
12 Pirie Street, Adelaide SA 5000
(please refer to course reminder email closer to session date)
View map

Costs
Professional Member $355
State Govt Employee Member $390
Corporate Member $405
Non-Member $440

This course can be delivered In-Agency. Contact us to discuss the delivery of this course within your department.

**For groups of five or more, IPAA SA can tailor the training to suit your organisation. Group bookings may also be eligible for a preferential rate. Complete the form, and our team will be in touch to discuss options. **

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  • "[The most positive aspects of the course] was the application of valid science to management approaches."

    SA Health

  • "The facilitator gave a lot of examples which we were good to assist with understanding how we could use the practice in our own workplace."

    DPC