Lead with Your Brain & Nervous System, Not Burnout | Sira Laurel

Sira Laurel is a leadership coach and founder of North of Normal. She helps leaders understand how their brain and nervous system actually work — and how to use that knowledge to lead more effectively, especially in a world increasingly shaped by AI.

With a background in HR leadership and organizational development, her work focuses on helping people move away from reactive, burnout-driven leadership toward more sustainable, human-centered ways of working. She especially supports highly sensitive and neurodivergent professionals.

In this insightful conversation, Sarah shares:

• What she believed leadership was supposed to look like in her early career

• Why traditional “strong & stoic” leadership often fails

• The challenges of working out of alignment with your nervous system

• True leadership as an inside-out practice rooted in self-awareness

• Practical ways to build nervous system literacy

• Why deeply human skills matter even more in an AI-driven world

If you’re in your 20s navigating high-pressure environments, feeling burned out, or wanting to lead in a way that actually fits how your brain works, this episode offers science-backed clarity and relief.

Timestamps below ⬇️

#SiraLaurel #NorthOfNormal #Leadership #NervousSystem #ConversationsWithSekani

Connect with Sira Laurel

Website:https://www.leadnorthofnormal.com/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/siralaurel

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thehighlysensitiveleader

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Chapters

0:00 - Intro & Welcome Sarah Laurel

1:40 - Early Beliefs About Leadership

8:15 - What True Leadership Actually Is

15:30 - Challenges in Traditional Corporate Environments

23:10 - Working Out of Alignment with Your Nervous System

31:45 - Founding North of Normal

40:20 - Brain Science Meets Leadership

48:50 - Building Nervous System Literacy

57:15 - Leadership Skills That Matter More in the Age of AI