‘You can’t understand human social behaviour without understanding power; power permeates every human relationship. Power and status underly pretty much every single human interaction you can think of. And if we don’t think about it, we actually don’t get to understand human social behaviour very richly at all.’
Professor Sukhvinder Obhi in conversation with Suzanne Alleyne
NAE’s Transform conference in May 2024 was a one-day national conference that brought together key leaders from the creative, community, and funding sectors to explore how to shift the narrative around Global Majority leadership within cultural institutions.
Since then, I’ve been reflecting on some big topics that always sit with me: power, leadership, and what it means to be a Global Majority leader in a world shaped by structural inequality. What changes in organisational behaviour could help address these challenges? And I came away feeling that the potential for a citizen assembly goes far beyond what we initially see on the surface.
What struck me at the conference was the power of witnessing. For me, the real beauty was in those moments when we discussed citizen-led leadership and its potential to tick so many boxes we’ve long struggled with. Art speaks to that work by reflecting who people are in a profound and reassuring way. This is why art has to be at the heart of it all.
At Alleyne&, we’re deeply invested in how understanding our relationship with power, both individually and collectively, can help create a more sustainable, equitable, and happy future. To give you some context, we define power as the ability to influence someone’s thoughts, feelings, or behaviours – whether they want you to or not – and also having agency over our own thoughts, feelings, and actions.
I’m a Black British neurodivergent woman, born in 1965, with multiple mental health diagnoses. Back in 2016/17, I hit a rough patch professionally and felt incredibly powerless. It made me reflect on the challenges I was facing and those I saw in the world around me. Many of these issues seemed to revolve around power dynamics in society, communities, and relationships – some of which felt fixed, while others seemed changeable. I’ve always believed that success comes when power is shared, as it benefits everyone. This led me to one pressing question:
Where does power reside in the brain and body, and how could understanding this help create a more equitable society?
Determined to find the answer, I delved into research, only to realise that social neuroscientists hadn’t yet cracked it. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and in 2017, I created the Neurology of Power™.
In doing that research, I discovered three key insights through my conversations with neuroscientists that have had a transformational impact on how I think about power:
Power and Empathy: Power hardwires the powerful for power, but it can also distance them from those without it, leading to a loss of empathy. And let’s be clear – power is vital for wellbeing. The lack of empathy has long been seen as a strength in leaders – that ruthless streak that lets them make tough calls without worrying about the fallout. We’ve seen it across political leaders, no matter their stance, for centuries. But today, it’s more evident than ever. It’s left society fractured, eroded trust in powerful institutions, and made policymaking more about ideology than real human experience.
Body Budgeting: Coined by Prof. Lisa Feldman Barrett, ‘Body Budgeting’ or allostasis is how our brain regulates and ‘budgets’ the energy in our bodies to help us survive. It’s a process that directly impacts our ability to work efficiently, our health, and our overall wellbeing. At Alleyne&, Body Budgeting has become a core part of our philosophy. It reminds us that we can’t work effectively if we’re not mindful of our own body budgets or the impact we have on others’ energy. When we apply Body Budgeting to our work on power, it becomes a transformative tool, helping us navigate challenges in a more sustainable and balanced way.
Neuroplasticity: I’ve also worked with neurologist Dr. Jerome Lubbe, who got me thinking about neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to learn. He uses a bear analogy, saying our brains often can’t tell the difference between a deadline and a bear chasing us. This means changing behaviour is tough, as it’s emotionally challenging. It also ties back to something Prof. Sukhvinder Obhi shared about learning being about ‘associating actions with consequences.’ Basically, if your actions are rewarded, you’ll repeat them. But if you’re in an environment where you feel threatened, you’ll behave differently. When it comes to power and behaviour, this is massive. If someone feels rewarded for ‘bad’ behaviour, they’ll likely continue feeling more powerful. I’ll let you connect the dots from there.
What we need now is a new approach to leadership, decision making and policymaking, one that truly centres people and communities, especially those that are traditionally underserved.. Policymakers must start by listening and sharing power with those who truly understand powerlessness and how policies impact real lives. We can’t keep letting those with power make all the decisions. Their privilege obscures their ability to understand the full picture.
About the author
Suzanne is the founder and CEO of Alleyne&, a cultural consultancy and research incubator, their work centres on leadership, power, and societal issues. An inaugural Arts Council England Changemaker and Churchill Fellow, she is a director of What Next? and trustee of artist Bobby Baker’s organisation Daily Life Limited. With an MA in Arts & Cultural Management from King’s College, London, she is now a guest lecturer.
Her innovative project, Neurology of Power™, explores the dynamics of power in the brain and body, and guides Alleyne&’s practices. With 30 years of experience, her client list has included Barclaycard, Wellcome Trust, BFI and Humboldt Forum. You can find out more about Alleyne& at www.alleyneand.com, www.allaboutpower.org LinkedIn @alleyne&, instagram @alleyneand
Blog: The Collective Power of Community Blog: Tranform The Conference Blog: The citizen assembly, power, and saving the world Blog: Transformation through the lens of power BACK TO HOMEPAGE