From a very young age, Bogdan Manta was fascinated by the behavior of people.
“Specifically, why people make certain decisions and how different cultural backgrounds influence dynamics and relationships between people and within my own social life,” says Mantra, founder of The Essential Experts, an agency specializing in high-impact leadership programs and hyper-personalized learning experiences delivered through keynotes, workshops, team building and training. “I noticed how often people did not understand each other or had different perspectives/behaviors, and I wanted to understand why this happens. Not through my own opinion, but through science.”
This led Manta to study neuropsychology, behavioral economics and cognitive neuroscience.
“As I kept applying this knowledge throughout my career in the corporate world, I just wanted to keep on learning, as people’s behaviors really started to ‘click,’” he says. “To me, this is the most fascinating field in the world, because I get answers to how and why humans—and specifically in business, professionals—behave the way they do. I have always been a person who wants to understand the ‘why’ behind everything I see and interact with in the world, so this was the logical and only possible step for me.”
In advance of his plenary session—“The Power of Choice: Exploring the Neuroscience of Influence or Experience”—at MPI’s European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC), 21-24 February in Barcelona, we spoke with Manta about understanding the differences between collaboration, hierarchy and decision-making; the intersection of science and storytelling; and taking an event audience through different emotional states.
You’ve worked with global organizations for more than two decades—what’s one common leadership challenge you see across industries?
I see a few recurring themes. One is navigating cultural differences and understanding how those differences impact collaboration, hierarchy and decision-making. Another is communication and how it appears to be so simple yet incredibly complex to communicate effectively. A third would be leading in times of (organizational) change, uncertainty and ambiguity. This is a very specific challenge which requires rigorous training, because the brain is biologically wired to dislike change and ambiguity.
Your approach combines science and storytelling. How do you strike the right balance between data-driven insights and engaging narratives?
This question is close to my heart because I always say: “If it is not practical, why do it in the first place?” We apply this when we deliver keynotes and training. When we prepare content, it is always fully tailored to the audience and highly interactive from the beginning until the end. Each session is focused on increasing the audience’s sustained attention and concentration by incorporating video showcases, sharing scientific experiments and using specific engagement tools like 3D models and live engagement. I have a strong background in show production, which helps striking the right balance between scientific research, engagement and storytelling. It is all about how we frame the content in practical examples and powerful a-ha moments. You will see some of these techniques in practice during EMEC in February.
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What practical steps can leaders take to leverage neuroscience in everyday decision-making and team dynamics?
My first answer would be to bring in the experts—actual scientists—to share their knowledge. This is the most straightforward approach because neuroscience is very complex. Reading a book or listening to a podcast about the brain does not make one a brain expert, the same way as attending an event does not make one an event expert.
When discussing the brain, decision-making or how people collaborate and communicate, the first thing leaders should do is to involve brain experts with practical business expertise. And encourage as much dialogue as possible.
What do you think makes a learning experience such as a keynote presentation truly stay with people long-term?
Let’s look at a few specific elements. I am going full “nerd” mode here.
First, vary teaching modalities to manage engagement modelling. We need to stop only using slides. Instead, combine slides with utilizing objects, interactive elements, videos, live Q&A polling, mini-dramas (yes, mini-dramas), a-ha moments and visual storytelling. The variety of tools positively prolongs sustained attention and tonic alertness, which enhances overall retention long after that learning experience.
Take the audience through different emotional states and show them that you care about their learning experience, the attention and time they give you. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. People will remember people; they will not remember slides. Maya Angelou said it best: “People will forget what you said, they will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”
We will share such practical insights during EMEC in February. I cannot wait to be there, meet everyone and have some brilliant conversations together.
