A prominent UK psychologist has today called for businesses to recognise heart intelligence as equal to mind and emotional intelligence, this International Women’s Day.

Hema Vyas, who has worked with high-profile clients and businesses (Google, EY, Bamford, Soho House) says that connecting to the power of the heart – as individuals and as an industry – is essential to expanding creativity, innovation, inclusivity and sustainability to achieve long-term success.

While traditional leadership qualities such as logic, reasoning, strategy and confidence are all widely appreciated in the corporate world, this International Women’s Day offers the opportunity to remind ourselves of the feminine* characteristics that make for successful leadership. Once relegated or seen as secondary to the straightforward cerebral wisdom, ‘feminine’ traits such as compassion, empathy, intuition and cooperation are increasingly understood as being essential to bottom line success in the evolving modern workplace. And now Vyas believes we must take these so-called ‘soft skills’ even further – whatever your gender – by harnessing the power and intelligence of the heart.

So, what exactly is heart wisdom?

“The power of the heart provides intangible human qualities,” Vyas explains. “When connected with the heart we bring value to an interconnected whole and raise unity consciousness. Traits such as love, truth, trust, transparency all support our best future-facing decisions and inform our instinctive, emotional and cerebral responses for the better. Tapping into our heart’s intelligence allows us to access an information space not bound by physicalities; a kind of peripheral vision that encompasses our full range of creativity, potential for innovation and ultimately unlocking our own personal – and organisational – vision for success.”

Vyas’s clients credit her with an incredible sense of intuition and insight, allowing them to connect with their own personal heart wisdom to overcome obstacles and realise a work and home life lived with love, passion, purpose, positive impact and achievement:

“With Hema as mentor I was able to fully align with my values and in turn secure a pivotal role in a high-profile organisation. When a tech disaster took hold that put reputation and revenue at stake, Hema supported me and through her insights, I realised the link between personal and leadership development. This quickly paved the way for massive improvements in culture, decision-making and results. Revenue grew three-fold, customer experience improved and there was an energy of trust and cohesion in the team.”

Tina Elhage, formerly of The Guardian.

Vyas is passionate about championing heart intelligence in business and beyond, firmly believing that its wisdom is as valuable as the mind’s and should be validated as such. She says, “International Women’s Day serves as a good reminder to us of the vital feminine qualities in leadership. If we go beyond these into heart intelligence we will succeed even further, attracting the right opportunities, people and moments that support success in all aspects.”

“When I show people how to directly experience this heart energy, immediate and sustained shifts in thinking, feeling and action occur. And the wonderful thing is, when consciousness raises, so does altruism. More than a competitive edge, the results will speak for themselves. I think we can all agree that a world where leaders operate from the heart is a better one.”