Some Important Neurochemicals

1. Cortisol – Threat, stress & survival

What it does

• Primary stress hormone
• Narrows attention, reduces empathy, impairs learning and memory
• Good for short-term danger; damaging when chronic

In change management, Cortisol spikes when people hear:

“This is non-negotiable”

“You’ll need to prove your value”

“We’re cutting roles/restructuring”

      Leads to:

• Resistance
• Compliance without commitment
• Blame, risk aversion, silo behaviour

Change implication

You cannot ask people to “learn”, “reflect” or “be open” while cortisol is high.

2. Adrenaline – Fight, flight or freeze

What it does

• Rapid action hormone
• Increases heart rate, reactivity, defensiveness
• Shuts down reflective thinking

In change management, adrenaline is triggered by urgency messaging:

• “We must act now”
• “This is critical”
• Helpful for short bursts (mobilisation)

Harmful when overused:

• Knee-jerk reactions
• Polarisation
• Loud voices dominate

Change implication

Adrenaline drives reaction, not reflection.

3. Oxytocin – Trust, belonging & connection

What it does

• Bonding hormone
• Increases trust, empathy, cooperation
• Builds social safety

In change management, oxytocin is activated by:

• Listening
• Shared purpose
• Genuine participation
• Being treated as a human, not a role

Results in:

• Willingness to engage
• Collective problem-solving
• Commitment beyond compliance

Critical caveat
Oxytocin strengthens in-group bonds, which means:

It can unintentionally exclude outsiders

“Nice cultures” can still be discriminative, if belonging has conditions

Change implication

Belonging must be expansive, not conditional, or it reinforces exclusion.

4. Dopamine – Motivation, progress & reward

What it does

• Anticipation and reward hormone
• Fuels motivation, learning and persistence
• Responds to visible progress

In change management, dopamine is activated by:

• Small wins
• Clear milestones
• Autonomy and mastery

Supports:

• Momentum
• Experimentation
• Learning loops

5. Serotonin – Status, dignity & fairness

What it does

• Regulates mood, confidence and sense of worth
• Strongly linked to status and respect

In change management, serotonin rises when:

• People feel respected
• Expertise is acknowledged
• Process feels fair

Drops when:

• People feel humiliated or ignored
• Decisions feel imposed or unjust

Putting it together: two hormonal climates

1. Threat-based change (very common)

High cortisol and adrenaline levels

Low oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin levels

Looks like:

• Resistance
• Defensiveness
• Tokenism
• Burnout

2. Safety-based change (rare but powerful)

Managed cortisol

Oxytocin + dopamine + serotonin levels reinforced

Looks like:

• Honest dialogue
• Shared accountability
• Sustained behaviour change
• Cultural learning

Summary

Psychological safety is not “soft”

It is biological permission to learn

Calling people out without safety spikes cortisol

Call in before calling out

Participation reduces stress hormones

Being involved changes brain chemistry

Visible progress matters

Symbolic commitments kill dopamine

Dignity is non-negotiable

Without serotonin, trust collapses

(main sources: Jennifer L. Eberhardt, 2019; David M Amodio et al, 2021)