Leading with Possibility: Heart-Mode

It’s ironic, isn’t it? As a numbers person, I strongly believe that some of the best business strategies don’t just come from data or dashboards…they come from mindset. A belief in what’s possible, a focus on people, and the ability to lead from the heart.

But, what does leading from the heart mean to me? 

In my experience, the biggest successes in business don’t start with a new campaign or a shiny tech platform. They start with a simple question: What if?

• What if we truly understood what our customers needed. Not just what they told us, but how they felt?

• What if we saw our people not just as resources, but as creative minds full of ideas and different approaches?

• What if we stopped chasing what’s missing and looked at what’s already there?

When times are tough it’s easy to get swept up in what’s not working. The missed targets, the challenges ahead, the 'not quite there yet's'. What if, instead of your Monday mornings focus being on performance challenges, you start your week from a place of gratitude and recognition: for the customers you do have, the brilliant teams you lead, the progress you have already made. 

I believe when you lead with heart, curiosity, calm and connection opens the door to real growth transformation. This is my heart-mode.

I once worked with a leading retail brand whose leadership team was fixated on falling customer acquisition numbers. Tensions were running high, teams were feeling frustrated and there was an atmosphere of unhelpful panic each week when the numbers were reported. We knew this wasn't sustainable and needed to do something differently, so we did!

Instead, we started our Monday trading meetings not with ‘what’s wrong?’ but with ‘what’s great?’. My team mapped the highest-value, most loyal customers and explored why they loved shopping with us. This insight and simple reframing shifted the meeting's energy. New marketing ideas started to flow, campaigns became bolder and within months, acquisition and loyalty revenues had grown by double digits. Why? Because we were building from strength, not fear.

What if you move out of fear mode and back into heart mode? I guarantee that is the point when you start to see opportunity where you once saw obstacles.

For me, being in 'heart-mode' is a consistent strength of inspirational leaders. It’s the mindset that allows you to stay calm in the chaos, connected to the customer, and open to what could be. It’s not about ignoring the hard stuff, it’s about anchoring in on what’s already strong so you can see the path forward.

So today, I’m listening to the stories customers are telling in their actions, not just their words. Because success doesn’t come from knowing exactly what the path looks like. It comes from believing it’s there, and walking it with purpose, gratitude and heart.