Michelle Teunis and Jillian Reilly
Off-Road Living: Using Permission and Applied Neuroscience to Lead Yourself (and Others) Through Constant Change
Michelle Teunis is a global change and transformation leader and applied neuroscience educator at #BrainsOnChange, with over 25 years of practical experience leading change, people, and adaptive capability for some of the world’s most iconic organisations. To complement her practical experience and bring an evidence-based lens to her work, she has postgraduate qualifications in organisational change, applied neuroscience, behavioural change, and cognitive psychology. She is accredited as a Master Neuroplastician through the Institute of Applied and Organisational Neuroscience.
Jillian Reilly is a founder, author, and keynote speaker. Having spent her 30-year career working in social, organisational, and individual change across Africa, Asia, and Central Europe, Jillian’s focus is on helping people unlock their ability to navigate change and accelerate growth and learning. Her book, The Ten Permissions, guides readers in permitting themselves to update how they operate in the 21st century and design lives that fully leverage the possibilities of this disruptive world. Jillian is a TEDX speaker and podcast host who has been published in the Washington Post, Newsweek, and the LA Times.
Their workshop –
The brain loves a roadmap, but modern life is off-road.
Self-directed neuroplasticity and the concept of permission offer a practical response to the reality of modern, off-road living. Though our brain wants to, we can’t follow a path that no longer exists. Self-directed neuroplasticity is the “user guide” to actively rewire our brain to build the mental agility and resilience needed to find our own way. It also enables permission, the green light to leave the old highway — the conscious signal to the brain that it’s safe to step into the uncertainty and discomfort of the unknown.
This session explores how to self-enact neuroplasticity — starting with asking yourself what you want and then knowing how to get there. Participants will work with principles for navigating the shift from a roadmap mindset to an off-road mindset, and explore practices they can start practicing straight away, in work, and life. The session applies not just to self-leadership, but to leading others through change — building the collective muscle of adaptive capability.
