Which executive superpower drives you, and which one’s holding you back?
Sharpen what empowers. Soften what constrains. The six executive functions behind every leadership move.
The Final Chapter of Our Executive Buzzword Series
This is the last article in our three-part Executive Buzzword Series, a leadership reset disguised as a vocabulary lesson.
We started with Executive Presence, exploring how credibility and confidence are conveyed long before a word is spoken.
Next came Emotional Intelligence vs. Emotional Quotient, where we examined how awareness without empathy can ring hollow.
And now, we close with the quiet powerhouse that ties it all together, Executive Functions: the real-life mental superpowers that help you lead with focus, agility, and grace.
It is a brilliant, much-needed topic that deserves our attention and a bit of clarity.
Your Brain’s Boardroom
Imagine your mind as a high-performance orchestra, or if you prefer, as a boardroom where six department heads run You, Inc.
When they are aligned, the results are powerful; your timing, your tone, and your leadership presence all hit the right notes.
But when one takes over or another stops showing up, everything starts to sound off-key. And being under the zodiac umbrella of Libra, I crave harmony, balance is not optional, it is essential 😉
The question is not whether you have these executive superpowers; you do.
The question is, which ones are conducting the show, and which are playing out of tune?
Executive Function Discovery
Though the idea of self-control is ancient, the scientific term executive function emerged in the 1970s, thanks to neuroscientist Karl Pribram, who linked these abilities to the brain’s prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for regulating thought and behavior.
Before that, neurologists noticed that people with frontal-lobe injuries could still think and speak but lost the ability to plan, prioritize, or manage impulses. Those findings gave rise to the concept of executive control.
Later, psychologists such as Russell Barkley, Miyake, and Friedman expanded the field, proving that these skills, though separate, work together like a team. They called it “unity and diversity.”
So when we talk about executive functions today, we are standing on the shoulders of neuroscience, clinical observation, and cognitive psychology. It is not corporate jargon. It is the architecture of adaptive thinking.
And yes, I know, I am talking about the brain again. But stay with me, because understanding what your brain is doing while you lead is half the secret to leading well.
| Number | Superpower | What It Does | When It Goes Too Far or Too Quiet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Self-Regulation (Inhibitory Control) | Pausing before reacting, choosing a response over an impulse | Too far: rigid, detached. Too quiet: reactive, volatile. |
| 2 | Working Memory | Holding and juggling information in real time | Too far: micromanaging, mental clutter. Too quiet: forgetfulness, confusion. |
| 3 | Cognitive Flexibility | Pivoting perspectives, adjusting strategies, staying open | Too far: scattered focus. Too quiet: stubbornness, tunnel vision. |
| 4 | Planning and Prioritization | Sequencing goals, structuring action | Too far: overcontrol, burnout. Too quiet: disorganization, chaos. |
| 5 | Task Initiation and Persistence | Getting started and finishing what matters | Too far: busyness without purpose. Too quiet: procrastination, avoidance. |
| 6 | Emotional Regulation | Managing feelings in self and others with awareness | Too far: emotional numbness. Too quiet: volatility, defensiveness. |
Each of these is a leadership muscle.
Some are strong. Some need stretching. Some could use a rest.
Which Ones Drive You, and Which Hold You Back?
Scenario A: The Mid-Level Manager
Maya leads a team of twelve. She is a planner, meticulous, dependable, a master of structure. But when her CEO calls for a sudden pivot, she freezes. Cognitive flexibility is not her strong suit, and when things get heated, her self-regulation slips. Her leadership growth lies not in more structure, but in softer pivots and deeper pauses.
Scenario B: The C-Suite Executive
Carlos is a visionary. His cognitive flexibility shines; he can pivot faster than a tennis pro. But his working memory is overloaded. He forgets threads, metrics, and sometimes people. His team loves his ideas but dreads the follow-through. His next level is discipline, not to cage his creativity, but to make space for it to land.
Both leaders show the same truth: when one function dominates, others weaken. Mastery comes through balance.
| Superpower | Tool to Strengthen | When Overused Becomes a Weapon |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Regulation | Practice the “Five-Breath Pause” before responding. | Creates fear or emotional distance. |
| Working Memory | Externalize through mind maps, notes, and visual tracking. | Turns into micromanagement. |
| Cognitive Flexibility | Ask “What is another way to see this?” | Becomes indecision or inconsistency. |
| Planning and Prioritization | Follow the 90/10 rule: plan 90 percent, leave 10 percent open. | Becomes rigidity and burnout. |
| Task Initiation | Pair new habits with existing routines. | Turns into busywork. |
| Emotional Regulation | Name the emotion before it names you. | Slips into emotional suppression. |
Leadership’s Dark Side: Weaponized Strengths
Leadership’s shadow shows up when we turn gifts into weapons.
Your ability to stay composed can lead to emotional distance.
Your clarity can turn into control.
Your flexibility can become fickleness.
The promise here is simple: you will not weaponize your gifts.
Your executive functions exist to serve humanity, not to suppress it.
A Grounded Practice
Before your next meeting, take sixty seconds to pause and ask yourself,
Which of my executive superpowers am I leading with today?
Which one do I need to sharpen?
Which one do I need to soften?
That pause alone strengthens the muscle of self-regulation, and that is where sustainable leadership begins.
Reflection
As we close this Executive Buzzword trilogy, we have moved from
- Executive Presence — how you show up.
- Emotional Intelligence and EQ — how you connect.
- Executive Functions — how you think, plan, and lead.
Leadership is not about capes or titles.
It is about knowing which of your powers to use, when to rest them, and how to lead with both structure and soul.
The true executive does not just function; they flourish.
Quackenbush Coaching LLC 