Have you ever made a decision where you thought, “It seemed logical, but something inside me felt unsettled”? Or the opposite: “It defied logic, but my gut told me it was right”?

In our article published in this month’s issue of Harvard Business Review Turkey, we explore how effective leaders navigate these internal signals. Our research reveals that this “inner voice” is actually information coming from different layers of our brain working in concert.

A special thanks to my co-authors: Selma Kalkavan, whose invaluable Turkish network absolutely key to getting our research to reach this prestigious platform of HBRTurkey, and Leo Khirug for his support with ArtOfIntelligence.ai 🙏

Through a comprehensive survey and ArtOfThinking.ai voice analysis, our research demonstrates that decision-making extends far beyond pure logic.

The mind (analysis), heart (emotion/empathy), and body (intuition/physiological signals) operate simultaneously. What distinguishes effective leaders is their ability to integrate all three channels.

Our data reveals a critical gap: bodily signals and intuitive information are the most overlooked dimensions in final decision-making—yet they often hold essential information.

The 3 critical dimensions of holistic leadership:

🧠 Mind: Strategy, analytical thinking, problem-solving

❤️ Heart: Empathy, relationship management, value-based decision-making

🏃 Body: Intuition, motivation, early warning signals that something is off

Practical steps for 3-dimensional decision-making:

  • When you find yourself in a decision-making process, expand your inquiry beyond “What am I thinking?” to include “What is my body telling me?” and “What do I feel about this?”
  • Cultivate awareness of physical signals—tension, discomfort, or a sense of ease—as valuable data points.
  • Foster psychological safety in your relationships and teams. Our research shows this enhances “collective intuition” and significantly improves decision quality.

In today’s climate of uncertainty, holistic leadership isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s essential for quality decision-making. For detailed research findings and additional practices, access the full article here.

#Leadership #DecisionMaking #HBR #HolisticLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence