How Visualization Unlocks Your Potential
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by how people think.
When I was a graduate student at Columbia University, I studied critical thinking, strategic thinking, and creative thinking, but it wasn’t until 2022 when I stumbled upon a very different kind of thinking that unlocked my ‘smart’ brain and changed everything.
In 2022, I did a deep dive into what I now call positive subconscious reprogramming (PSR) - a mental practice that helps high-achievers confront their fears, visualize their future success, and unlock their performance in the present.
And why did this organizational psychology nerd embrace something so esoteric? Because our brains - yours, mine, and everyone’s! - are wired to believe what we can see.
Neuroscience research has confirmed that when human beings observe someone performing an action—or vividly visualize it ourselves—the brain activates many of the same neural circuits as if we were doing it ourselves. This is thanks to a remarkable system of mirror neurons that helps us model that action, study its feasibility, and “prime” our motor and cognitive systems for execution. Put simply: Seeing makes believing, and believing makes doing a lot more possible.
That’s why visualization isn’t fluffy, it’s your nervous system’s way of rehearsing for future success in real life.
From Olympic Athletes to Executive Leaders: Why Visualization Works
Elite athletes have used this mental practice for decades. Olympic skiers visualize every turn of the course before race day, Tour de France cyclists visualize attacking the climbs and descents of their upcoming stages, and by visualizing their future success, they condition their nervous system to expect success—which better prepares them to recognize the need for strategic adjustments when the pressure is actually on.
In the modern workplace, the twists, turns, and hills are more metaphorical, but the way our nervous system responds to stress remains the same. If you're a leader who feels insecure because you haven’t “made it” yet, and can't guarantee success because you don’t have all the answers, you can still mentally prepare yourself to see different paths to success, perform better under pressure, and increase your odds.
Three Visualization Practices for High-Achieving Leaders
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
1. Give Yourself Permission to Daydream - Stop talking to others about everything that should get done and start visualizing what it will look like when you and your team are performing together and crossing the proverbial finish line.
2. Write Down What You Remember - Don’t let the visualization be a fleeting effort, capture your insights in vivid detail - where you were and what you were seeing, hearing, smelling, thinking, believing, and more… Write it ALL down.
3. Share Your Story With Whoever Needs to See It Too - Because our brains light up in response to narratives and visuals, the vivid picture you paint for others - whether it’s in dialogue or on a whiteboard - will help others see, believe, and understand what you are striving for, and want to up their game with you!
When you’re ready to stop worrying and start visualizing your path to the next level of success, let’s work together.
I’d love to help you add this transformational practice to your leadership toolkit.
