In an era when business executive have all the market data at their finger tips, and deploy that in reaching decisions, the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, says he takes a different approach. Having built one of the most valuable companies in the world from scratch, the Amazon founder is worth taking seriously.
According to Bezos, going with your heart when making your best business decisions often provide market advantage. Of course, he hasn’t been that perfect in taking this approach but cumulatively over the years, he can be said to be well off when compared with other corporate chiefs who relied on data and analysis alone in making decisions.
The billionaire explains how he reaches his best business decisions: “All of my best decisions in business and in life have been made with heart, intuition, guts… not analysis”.
He adds, “If you can make a decision with analysis, you should do so. But it turns out in life that your most important decisions are always made with instinct, intuition, taste, heart”.
Jeff may have been portrayed by the media as an austere businessman. However, the insight into how he has made some of his billion-raking decisions says otherwise.
The heart and the brain work together to help make better choices. Although many people believe the intellect sit in the brain, while emotion comes from the heart, it is the combination of the two resources in providing solutions to tough issues, especially in business and life generally, that makes a genius.
Renowned brain surgeon and author, Dr. James Doty, admits, “All leaders must know that the heart can have more influence on your success than your brain”.
He explains further that the heart contributes to every great choices made by anyone; while adding that it helps raise one’s level of motivation.
In the same vein, the Director of Research at HeartMath Institute, Rollin McCraty, contributes some insight into how working with the heart can bring success. He stresses that “the heart routinely informs the brain” about the emotional status of the body thereby aiding in forming some of the best decisions reached by the brain.
He goes further to say the experience of positive feelings and emotions such as happiness and gratitude help the heart find coherence. Hence when people feel appreciated, they are motivated to give their best.
In sum, the heart plays a key role in succeeding in business. Allowing the heart to shape most of his decisions may be one of the reasons Jeff Bezos is worth $123.9 billion.
That is instructive for any entrepreneur.
