Leading with Heart and Mind

Exciting news!

As authors, Selma Kalkavan and Sonja Vlaar, both Master Neuroplasticians, we are thrilled to share our book-chapter: “Leading With Heart and Mind: Neurobiological Dimensions of Decision-Making for Sustainable and Circular Economy Leadership” , published globally in the book “Management Strategies and Business Models for Circular Economy Transformation” by IGI Global.

Read or purchase the full chapter here. The first two pages free to preview.

Our study explores leadership decision-making beyond cognition, as an emotional, embodied, and neurophysiological process. We investigate how leaders integrate the inner dialogue between heart, mind, and body when shaping sustainable and circular futures.

We are now completing the second phase of our research, analyzing leaders’ verbal reflections—their spoken thoughts and emotions—using the Art of Thinking platform. This innovative method revealed patterns in voice tone, emotional transitions in speech, and signals of self-awareness in greater depth. Many thanks to Leo Khirug for his support in data interpretation and AI-assisted analysis. Results of this second phase will be published later this year—stay tuned!

We also share our findings in a NotebookLM-powered Spotify podcast, uncovering the neurobiological patterns revealed through leaders’ voice reflections and the shifts in awareness that guide effective decision-making. Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/667miXOKABMH7pkN3oCb9d?si=0XnXiL9gQEWQxnWYVVRSaw&nd=1&dlsi=04c1ede8024e4103