How Compassion, Trust, Belonging and Shared Purpose Shape the Way People Connect, Collaborate, and Perform — Particularly in Teams and High-Pressure Environments

Dr. Balters presented research from her Neuroscience of Human Connection Lab on what happens between two brains when people bond, trust, and collaborate. Using portable neuroimaging (fNIRS) and dual-brain hyperscanning, her lab measures interbrain coherence during real interactions and ties it to well-being and performance. She covered in-person versus Zoom interaction, the prosocial brain signature of expressing genuine appreciation, the link between isolation, self-compassion, and burnout, and evidence that a brief “need-sharing” exercise measurably increases team creativity.

The session was run as a working session. Participants used a “list of needs” to reflect on appreciation, self-criticism, and the conditions under which they feel fully supported, followed by open discussion. That discussion turned to AI: whether AI absorbing brute-force work should free people to attend to their needs rather than raise the tempo, why some early-career workers say they would prefer an AI manager, and what leaders must preserve as AI agents enter teams. Balters’ central argument was that compassion is a trainable, measurable leadership skill with hard returns — and that understanding what is uniquely human is a prerequisite for designing AI that supports rather than displaces human connection.