In this episode of the How to Lead - 2025 Edition series, Julia speaks with Dr. Fiona Kerr, a neuroscientist, engineer, and systems thinker, about how to lead a strategy day in a way that truly taps into the collective intelligence of the room.

Fiona begins with neuroscience: why proximity makes us smarter, how brains sync when people interact face-to-face, and what that means for the quality of thinking in a strategy session. She then explores how to design and steer, not control a conversation. From setting boundaries and naming non-negotiables, to using intuition, spotting weak signals, and asking the right questions, her approach is built around high trust, curiosity, and deep listening.

She also unpacks the role of leaders as both participants in the system and observers of it, holding a bifocal view that allows for creativity and rigour at once.

Listen to this episode to learn how to lead strategy sessions that go beyond sticky notes and PowerPoints and instead unlock clarity, ownership, and systems-level thinking.

About the Guest:

Dr Fiona Kerr is a researcher and advisor working at the intersection of human connectivity, technology, and systems thinking. She is the founder of the NeuroTech Institute and FOCUS, and works with public and private sector organisations on building adaptive, human-centred approaches to complex challenges. With a background in neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and complex systems, Fiona brings over 40 years of industry experience. In 2023, she was named a Fellow of ATSE for her work on human proximity and problem-solving. She currently serves as Director of Applied Integrative Research at MindChamps in Singapore, focusing on how digital tools and human interaction affect learning and cognition across ages.