The Science Behind Our Approach
The Success Evolution Institute’s work is grounded in established research on the autonomic nervous system, Polyvagal Theory, and organizational psychology. We translate this science into practical application for leaders and organizations.
Below are the core frameworks that inform our programs.
The S.T.A.T.E. Framework
S.T.A.T.E. is a practical operating system for conscious state selection, developed by Dr. Josh McWealth Unamba. It provides a structured approach to working with your nervous system rather than against it.
SENSE: Recognize what is happening in your body before your mind catches up. You cannot regulate what you cannot sense.
TRACK: Identify your patterns, triggers, and warning signs over time. Single moments deceive; patterns reveal.
ATTUNE: Understand how your nervous system state affects everyone around you. Your state is contagious. You are the weather system others navigate.
TRANSFORM: Access the version of yourself each moment requires. You contain multiple selves; state determines which one shows up.
ENCODE: Build lasting capacity so regulation becomes your default. What you practice becomes what you default to.
The Leadership Capacity Cycle
The Leadership Capacity Cycle maps leadership capacity to nervous system states, identifying five phases that all leaders cycle through:
- Expansive: Full access to wisdom, creativity, patience, and connection. This corresponds to ventral vagal activation – the “safe and social” state.
- Tensive: Beginning activation. Capacity narrows but functionality remains. Early warning signs appear.
- Defensive: Threat response active. Reactive behavior replaces responsive behavior. Judgment is impaired.
- Destructive: Prolonged dysregulation causing damage to self, relationships, and outcomes.
- Recovering: Returning to baseline. Rebuilding capacity after dysregulation.
The goal is not to never leave Expansive, but to recognize shifts early, intervene effectively, and recover quickly.
Foundational Research
Our work builds on established research including:
- Polyvagal Theory (Stephen Porges) – Understanding the autonomic nervous system’s role in social behavior and emotional regulation
- Stress and performance research – The relationship between physiological activation and cognitive capacity
- Organizational psychology – How individual nervous system states create collective organizational patterns
- Embodied cognition – The role of the body in shaping thought, decision-making, and behavior
Bridging Research and Real-World Success
At the Success Evolution Institute, we’re committed to advancing the science of success. Our research explores the impact of stress on performance, the role of resilience in achieving goals, and the strategies that help individuals and organizations thrive under pressure. From studying the psychological principles of mindset shifts to uncovering the biological effects of stress on the body, our work is rooted in science yet designed for real-world application. Explore our latest studies, publications, and insights to discover how you can transform stress into success.”
