I honestly believe that these ideas represent the future of thinking about leadership. 

Recently, members of my leadership groups have been fascinated by a relatively new category of theories that have emerged in recent years: 4E Cognition.

4E Cognition is a set of theories that emerged at the intersection of cognitive science, affective science, neuroscience, and philosophy of mind. 

Basically, 4E perspectives look at the ways in which cognition or “the mind” are processes not limited to the brain. Yes, you heard that right. We can’t think without involving the body, the environment, objects around us, and our actions. 

The Four E’s are:

Embodied

Embedded

Extended

Enacted

I’d love to give you an idea of what 4E Cognition theory is all about and how we can apply these theories to leadership.