Neurological Foundations of Leadership Behaviour and Their HRM Implications: A Neuro-HRM Study of Senior Managers in Nigerian Organisations

This study pioneers a Neuro-HRM investigation into the neurological foundations of leadership behaviour and their implications for human resource management practice in Nigerian organisations, representing one of the first applications of neuroscientific methods to HRM research in Sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the neurological underpinnings of decision-making under pressure, empathy, and self-regulation in leaders may generate more biologically grounded HRM frameworks for leadership selection, development, and assessment. The study employs a two-stage design. Stage 1 involves quantitative neurocognitive assessments of 60 senior managers from diverse Nigerian industries in Lagos, using validated neuropsychological instruments including the Iowa Gambling Task, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test to measure decision-making, empathy, and cognitive flexibility respectively. Stage 2 triangulates neurocognitive scores with 360-degree leadership effectiveness ratings from subordinates and peers and qualitative narrative interviews with participants. Evolutionary Neuropsychology Theory, Affective Neuroscience, and the Neuroscience of Leadership Framework provide the theoretical architecture. Findings reveal significant relationships between prefrontal executive function scores and measured leadership effectiveness, particularly in ambiguous or high-stakes decision scenarios. Empathy neurocognitive scores predict inclusiveness and subordinate-rated supportiveness independently of personality measures. Recommendations for HRM practice include the supplementary use of validated neurocognitive tools in senior leadership selection and the design of leadership development programmes that target neurologically grounded competencies. Original contributions include Nigeria's first Neuro-HRM Leadership Profile and a Neuro-Informed Leadership Selection Protocol. Keywords: Neuro-HRM, Leadership Behaviour, Neuroscience, Senior Managers, Nigeria.