Entrainment isn't just a buzz word

Much as I’ve always been an early adopter when it comes to tech and ideas, not every trend is worth your attention. Some sound clever but don’t land. But entrainment? This one’s different. It’s not hype. It works because it mirrors something that happens naturally, within teams as much as within individuals.

When a group shares focus and purpose, they literally start to sync. Energy levels, communication and momentum align. The same is true in reverse. When a shared belief sets in, even an unhelpful one, it shapes how people think and perform together, often without anyone realising it.

What Is Entrainment?

The word entrainment has two key interpretations, both relevant and both useful in business and leadership.

1. Scientific Entrainment

In neuroscience and physics, entrainment describes how one rhythm syncs with another. Think of how your brainwaves respond to steady sound, or how your body clock adjusts after a long flight.

Brainwave entrainment uses rhythmic sound or light pulses to guide the brain into a desired state, such as focus or calm. Studies show benefits including improved cognition, reduced anxiety and better decision making. It’s a real, measurable phenomenon, and one that translates surprisingly well to how teams operate under pressure.

2. Cultural and Behavioral Entrainment

This version is more subtle, but just as powerful. People naturally tune into the mood, pace and tone of the group around them. In teams, this can work for or against you. Enthusiasm, confidence and curiosity can spread fast, but so can hesitation, fear of failure or the belief that success should be played down.

When I was growing up in New Zealand, the name Wattie’s was everywhere, baked beans, spaghetti, tomato sauce. A homegrown success story. Yet the moment the company became highly profitable, public opinion shifted. That quiet discomfort with success revealed how collective beliefs can limit what feels acceptable.

That’s entrainment too. The belief that standing out is risky, or that earning well means stepping out of line. It seeps quietly into how teams behave, the ideas they back and the confidence they show.

Why It Matters Now

Modern businesses are built on systems and strategy, but performance still comes down to people. When shared beliefs turn restrictive, progress slows, not because anyone means to hold back, but because the group rhythm has changed.

Recognising entrainment helps you spot those unseen patterns. It allows leaders and teams to reset the rhythm consciously, instead of getting carried along by old ones.

How To Start

You don’t need a lab, a consultant army or a neuroscience degree. Start with awareness:

• Notice how your team’s energy shifts in different meetings or under certain leaders

• Pay attention to the tone that dominates decision making, whether confident, cautious or resigned

• Ask what unwritten rules might be shaping behaviour such as we don’t challenge ideas or we play it safe

• Look at the signals your culture sends about success, risk and belonging
  

The goal isn’t to overhaul your people. It’s to tune the rhythm back to clarity, confidence and connection.

Why I Use Entrainment in My Own Work

After years leading teams, negotiating deals and steering businesses through change, I’ve seen how much alignment matters, and how easily it drifts. Entrainment gives a practical way to notice and reset that drift.

I use these principles to help teams realign their focus, rebuild confidence and create environments where people perform at their best. Not through hype, but through rhythm, awareness and practical shifts that last.

Sometimes it starts with a conversation. Sometimes it starts with a change in tempo. Either way, it starts with noticing what you’ve been syncing to, and choosing something better.

You don’t need to overhaul your life. Sometimes, it just starts with a shift in rhythm. A little recalibration. Like a Business Backrub for your nervous system.

Finding calm in the chaos - by tuning in, not checking out.