The Third Option: Coaching Beyond Binary Thinking (Beck Sydow)

Beck Sydow, founder of Humankind Business Leaders, joins Dr. Irena O’Brien to explore how coaches can help leaders who are stuck in binary thinking. They also discuss nervous-system regulation practices that can create space for non-binary “both/and” options that a stressed brain can't reach.

In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.

             

“The leaders’ nervous systems are running the company.”— Beck Sydow

Guest Bio:

Beck Sydow [they/them] works with leaders who are brilliant, overloaded, and tired of losing themselves under pressure. A business geek with Buddhist roots, Beck teaches founders, entrepreneurs, and senior leaders to recognize fear in real time, steady their nervous system, and return to clarity when it matters most.

With four decades of experience as a CEO/COO, therapist, and mindfulness teacher, Beck moves easily between business strategy and the inner workings of a leader’s nervous system. This dual fluency is what clients call “magic” — the moment when reactivity quiets, insight returns, and leadership feels spacious again.

Beck’s work offers a way of leading that allows results and humanity to finally coexist. They are the founder of HumanKind Business Leaders and the creator of the People-Hearted & Business-Minded™ framework and Homebase Practice for Leaders™️.

Host Bio:

Dr. Irena O’Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.

She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.

Dr. O’Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Beck’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/beck-sydow
Beck’s Website: HumankindBusinessLeaders.com
Beck’s Homebase Practices Sheet: HumankindBusinessLeaders.com/infographics

Credits:

Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

Music credits:

Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Special effects credits:

24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

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Episode transcript: The Third Option: Coaching Beyond Binary Thinking (Beck Sydow) coming soon.

Creators and Guests

Host

Dr. Irena O’Brien

Producer

Andrew Chapman

Guest

Beck Sydow

Editor

Marvin Del Rosario

What is Neuroscience of Coaching?

In each episode, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.