Dr. Terry Wu ~ Renowned Neuroscientist and Speaker
He is extremely grateful for the new opportunities that America has bestowed upon him and the wonderful people who have mentored, supported, and cheered for him along the way.
His interest in the intersection of Neuroscience and Leadership began in early 2020. When the pandemic first hit, leadership failures became widespread. Leaders at all levels scrambled to search for guidance but found little. Well-known speakers, authors, and experts were just as clueless.
Dr. Wu received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University for his research into learning and memory. He spent 20 years at the University of Minnesota, focusing on understanding a wide range of human behaviors through our growing knowledge about the brain. During the same time, he built a successful marketing firm with his insights into why people buy.
Uncovering the Secrets of Why People Follow
How did the multibillion-dollar leadership training and development industry fail to prepare leaders to face such a once-in-a-lifetime challenge? One reason is that the entire industry is built on rare anecdotes, made-up stories, and celebrity personalities.
Another reason is that leadership trainers only teach leaders how to lead but know little about why people follow. They recycle and rebrand the same old content without truly understanding the behavioral patterns of both leaders and followers.
After examining the interplay between leaders’ and followers’ behavioral patterns, Dr. Wu has built a Neuroscience-powered framework that centers on how stress, belonging, motivation, and leadership are intertwined. For the first time, this framework not only explains why people follow leaders but also predicts whether followers will follow.
Transforming Leadership with Neuroscience
The leadership training and development industry is cluttered with unproven theories, unfounded claims, and unverifiable stories. Speakers, authors, and experts recycle the same content, with little knowledge of what influences human behavior. Let’s start your Why, then work on your Vulnerability. Let’s check that Authenticity box too. Don’t forget to demonstrate your Empathy so you can go from Good to Great. If nothing works, your Why must be unclear. Just about any laid-off or fired business executive can hang out their shingle as a leadership trainer by following a generic playbook.
Dr. Wu applies Neuroscience to explain and predict leaders’ and followers’ behaviors. By showing leaders Why People Follow, he teaches them how to inspire, motivate, and care for their followers. His unique insights have given them a refreshing perspective along with actionable practices.
Dr. Wu is a highly sought-after speaker, trainer, and educator. His keynotes and workshops have created a strong impact on the personal and professional lives of his audiences. His influence has reached a global audience of more than 2 million people.
Dr. Wu continues his research into what makes people follow and is writing a book on this important subject. He regularly travels around the country and presents to CEO groups, leadership academies, association conferences, and corporate training. He and his wife live in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area in Minnesota.
I had Dr. Terry Wu speak with my Vistage CEO board on the topic of STRESS and how it is different post-pandemic. In very simple terms, He covered how short-term stress builds up quickly and turns into chronic stress and burnout. My board members wanted to know why some of their A+ employees are now performing at a C- level. Terry answered this question and gave my members a unique lens to know exactly what causes this issue. He presented a science-powered framework for leaders to mitigate stressors effectively for themselves and their teams. He explained the science behind 5 psychological safety signals and how leaders can proactively create those signals. His framework is not only easy to understand but also very practical in both life and business. He gave me and my members a fresh perspective to look at how leadership and stress are intertwined. His amazing workshop will benefit leaders of all levels. ~ Cathy “Fitz” Fitzhenry, Vistage Chair, Author, and CEO Coach