The Neurobiology of Effective Leadership: Integrating Polyvagal Theory with the Coaching Leadership Style

Orla Colgate and Mark Colgate ()
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Orla Colgate: School of Education and Leadership, City University, Vancouver Island Technology Park, 4464 Markham St., Victoria, BC V8Z 7X8, Canada
Mark Colgate: Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd., Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada

Administrative Sciences, 2025, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-8

Abstract: The contemporary volatile business environment demands a shift from directive oversight to developmental leadership, given the complexity and rapid technological advancement characterizing modern workplaces. The Coaching Leadership Style (CLS) has emerged as a critical approach, linking extensively to enhanced employee engagement, performance, innovation, and psychological safety. However, the mechanisms by which coaching behaviors create these outcomes, especially the foundational element of safety, remain under-specified. Existing leadership research often lacks a replicable, mechanistic, and neurobiologically grounded model. This conceptual paper bridges this gap by integrating leadership science with interpersonal neurobiology. We propose Polyvagal Theory (PVT), a framework explaining the neurophysiology of safety and connection, as the missing mechanism that explains the effectiveness of CLS. We argue that the relational cues of a coaching leader (e.g., vocal prosody, attuned listening) are non-consciously detected via neuroception, shaping an employee’s autonomic state. We propose that these cues create physiological safety, which is the biological prerequisite that enables the interpersonal risk-taking and voice behaviors that constitute psychological safety. We then operationalize this synthesis by embedding PVT principles within the established 5E Coaching Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Execute, Evaluate), offering a practical, state-aware framework for leaders. This paper contributes a testable, micro-to-macro pathway from leader autonomic co-regulation to team-level high-performance outcomes.

Keywords: coaching leadership; polyvagal theory; physiological safety; psychological safety; co-regulation; 5E coaching; leadership development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L M M0 M1 M10 M11 M12 M14 M15 M16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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