In the world of business and marketing, emotions may initially seem like a secondary topic. We must make rational decisions, basing them on data, metrics, and KPIs.
And, no doubt, all of that is important. Yet there is a mute, often overlooked ingredient that separates an excellent choice from a mere good one: intuition.
Or, as it has forever been known, a gut feeling.
The word courage comes from the Latin cor, meaning “heart.”
Initially, having courage didn’t simply mean “to be brave,” but instead acting guided by the Heart.
Interestingly, science is beginning to validate this ancient etymological wisdom.
Recent studies in neurocardiology have shown that the Heart has an intrinsic nervous system, with more than 40,000 neurons, that sends signals to the brain through afferent fibers.
Even more surprising is that these signals not only inform the brain about our physical state, but they also influence key areas, such as the prefrontal cortex —the very part of the brain that governs decision-making, judgment, and social behavior.
In other words, the Heart doesn’t just pump blood: it actively participates in shaping our perception, emotions, and decisions.
We call it intuition when, without knowing exactly why, we feel that something “just feels right.”
It may seem irrational, but in reality, it’s the result of years of accumulated experience, combined with a fine perception of complex variables we can’t always consciously process.
Steve Jobs often spoke about “following intuition.” Jeff Bezos claimed that his best decisions didn’t come from spreadsheets but from intuition, courage, and Heart. And in marketing, who hasn’t had to bet on a message, a channel, or an insight that the data didn’t yet validate—but something just said it would work?
It’s not about choosing between intuition and analysis. It’s about balancing them. A good leader is not someone who only looks at graphs, nor someone who acts on impulse. It’s someone who integrates rational information with emotional intuition, giving space to both facts and feelings.
In marketing, this balance is crucial. Think about a branding campaign. You can test a thousand variations, run focus groups, analyze historical data… but at some point, someone will have to say: “This is the one.” And often, the winning choice will be the one that conveys something emotionally powerful, not necessarily the most logical one.
The most memorable brands aren’t those that only communicate benefits. They are the ones that touch the Heart, the ones that dare to be human. And to create something like that, we need to reconnect with our emotional dimension, with that heart-brain system that tells us when something clicks.
In business, courage is not about making impulsive decisions, but rather about daring to act with conviction even in the face of uncertainty. It means knowing how to listen to that inner voice that says, “This is right,” even when the numbers aren’t yet saying it.
That voice comes, in part, from the Heart. From that physiological and emotional connection that helps us make sense of complexity. Making bold decisions doesn’t mean ignoring the data—it means also giving space to our subjective perception, which is often wiser than we realize.
In an era dominated by algorithms, automation, and dashboards, the most significant risk is forgetting intuition. Believing that everything can be modeled, predicted, and quantified. But consumers are not numbers. They are people. And connecting with people requires sensitivity, empathy, and even vulnerability.
That’s why the leadership of the future—in marketing, sales, or any field—will require not only analytical skills but also emotional intelligence. And part of that intelligence lies in listening to the body, feeling the Heart, and learning to trust those signals that don’t always come with charts attached.
This isn’t a call for mysticism, nor constant improvisation. It’s a call to reclaim the human side of business decision-making. Because if we want to build brands that truly connect, strategies that captivate, and relationships that endure, we must have the courage—in its most profound sense—to feel.
And to feel, we need a heart.
In the world of business and marketing, emotions may initially seem like a secondary topic. We must make rational decisions, basing them on data, metrics, and KPIs.
And, no doubt, all of that is important. Yet there is a mute, often overlooked ingredient that separates an excellent choice from a mere good one: intuition.
Or, as it has forever been known, a gut feeling.
The word courage comes from the Latin cor, meaning “heart.”
Initially, having courage didn’t simply mean “to be brave,” but instead acting guided by the Heart.
Interestingly, science is beginning to validate this ancient etymological wisdom.
Recent studies in neurocardiology have shown that the Heart has an intrinsic nervous system, with more than 40,000 neurons, that sends signals to the brain through afferent fibers.
Even more surprising is that these signals not only inform the brain about our physical state, but they also influence key areas, such as the prefrontal cortex —the very part of the brain that governs decision-making, judgment, and social behavior.
In other words, the Heart doesn’t just pump blood: it actively participates in shaping our perception, emotions, and decisions.
We call it intuition when, without knowing exactly why, we feel that something “just feels right.”
It may seem irrational, but in reality, it’s the result of years of accumulated experience, combined with a fine perception of complex variables we can’t always consciously process.
Steve Jobs often spoke about “following intuition.” Jeff Bezos claimed that his best decisions didn’t come from spreadsheets but from intuition, courage, and Heart. And in marketing, who hasn’t had to bet on a message, a channel, or an insight that the data didn’t yet validate—but something just said it would work?
It’s not about choosing between intuition and analysis. It’s about balancing them. A good leader is not someone who only looks at graphs, nor someone who acts on impulse. It’s someone who integrates rational information with emotional intuition, giving space to both facts and feelings.
In marketing, this balance is crucial. Think about a branding campaign. You can test a thousand variations, run focus groups, analyze historical data… but at some point, someone will have to say: “This is the one.” And often, the winning choice will be the one that conveys something emotionally powerful, not necessarily the most logical one.
The most memorable brands aren’t those that only communicate benefits. They are the ones that touch the Heart, the ones that dare to be human. And to create something like that, we need to reconnect with our emotional dimension, with that heart-brain system that tells us when something clicks.
In business, courage is not about making impulsive decisions, but rather about daring to act with conviction even in the face of uncertainty. It means knowing how to listen to that inner voice that says, “This is right,” even when the numbers aren’t yet saying it.
That voice comes, in part, from the Heart. From that physiological and emotional connection that helps us make sense of complexity. Making bold decisions doesn’t mean ignoring the data—it means also giving space to our subjective perception, which is often wiser than we realize.
In an era dominated by algorithms, automation, and dashboards, the most significant risk is forgetting intuition. Believing that everything can be modeled, predicted, and quantified. But consumers are not numbers. They are people. And connecting with people requires sensitivity, empathy, and even vulnerability.
That’s why the leadership of the future—in marketing, sales, or any field—will require not only analytical skills but also emotional intelligence. And part of that intelligence lies in listening to the body, feeling the Heart, and learning to trust those signals that don’t always come with charts attached.
This isn’t a call for mysticism, nor constant improvisation. It’s a call to reclaim the human side of business decision-making. Because if we want to build brands that truly connect, strategies that captivate, and relationships that endure, we must have the courage—in its most profound sense—to feel.
And to feel, we need a heart.
