Have you ever walked away from a conversation wondering how the other person cannot see your point of view?
From where you stand, the logic is perfectly clear. You have explained your reasoning. You have presented your evidence. Yet somehow, they remain firmly rooted on their side of the debate. They do not get it, and the frustration rises.
Here is the reason: humans do not operate on logic alone.We operate on context.
The Brain Creates Context Long Before Logic Arrives
One of the most distinctive features of the human brain is its ability to create context.
We do it automatically. We do it unconsciously. And we do it in every interaction.
Every person brings their own:
- assumptions
- interpretations
- experiences
- expectations
- solutions
This internal world frames how they listen, how they evaluate, and how they decide.
Two people can hear the same message and walk away with entirely different meanings. Not because one is right and one is wrong, but because their contexts are different.
Why Conversations Go Wrong
Conversations derail easily when neither side recognises the context the other person is operating from.
We assume we are being logical.
We assume the other person should see what we see.
We assume our framing is the correct one.
The reality is different. Conversations succeed or fail based on how well we understand the context on the other side.
This is especially important for leaders.If you do not understand the mental model the other person is using, you will talk past each other without even realising it.
An Episode Worth Revisiting
If you want to go deeper, this episode from the Leadership in Chaos vault explains exactly how the brain creates context, how it differs from logic, and why that distinction matters so much in leadership conversations.
You can watch the clip below, or listen to the full episode or read the transcript here:
https://bit.ly/49BtdIK
Conversations have the power to connect or divide.
As a leader, you get to choose which outcome you create.
