Claire Hayek joins Dr. Irena O'Brien to explore how LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® helps individuals and teams think differently. They discuss embodied cognition, metaphor, psychological safety, and why building with your hands can unlock deeper insight, creativity, and more meaningful coaching conversations.

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.

“When people build, they often discover ideas they couldn't put into words.”— Claire Hayek

Guest Bio:

Claire Hayek is a Neuroleadership expert, TEDx speaker, and founder of Mind. Soul. Purpose. Teambuilding. She is the creator of Pressure-Proof Leadership™, a neuroscience-based framework that helps leaders and organizations maintain clarity, resilience, and performance in high-pressure environments.

For more than 30 years she has operated in high-pressure environments, from growing up in war-torn Lebanon to engineering and executive leadership. Her work examines how sustained pressure shapes the human nervous system, identity, and performance, and how high performers can harness drive without letting it quietly erode clarity, health, or voice.

Her clients are mid-market and enterprise organizations facing the cost of slow decisions, communication breakdown, and execution that stalls when it matters most.

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
Claire’s websites: ClaireHayek.com and MSPteambuilding.ca
Claire’s new book: ClaireHayek.com/book
Claire’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/

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: Using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® to Unlock New Perspectives (Claire Hayek) coming soon.