Communicating from the Heart
What if the most powerful thing you bring to a conversation isn’t the perfect argument—but the quality of your presence?
When we rush, debate, or defend, people hear our words but miss our meaning. When we slow down, connect, and care, hard topics soften and hard decisions get easier. That’s the simple premise of communicating from the heart.
Why this matters?
Poor communication is expensive. In court, in boardrooms, and in breakrooms, confusion costs money and trust. One famous example cited in every communication class: Merck’s Vioxx case, where a jury felt lost in technical explanations was an expensive lesson in missing the human connection in communication.
In healthcare alone, the hidden price tag adds up from a system-wide patient harm from miscommunication according to a 2025 update. A review of 23,000 malpractice cases found 7,000+ tied to communication failures, driving $1.7B in costs and ~2,000 preventable deaths. This is a sobering personal and financial toll from everyday breakdowns like unclear instructions and missed follow-ups.
Consider Southwest’s holiday meltdown penalties & payouts from 2022–2024. Dept. of Transportation found the airline failed to adequately communicate/assist customers amid mass cancellations, levying a record $140M penalty; Southwest has paid $600M+ to customers and reported $1.1B+ in losses tied to the event. Case studies also document internal comms breakdowns.
The upside is just as real. Best Buy saw that each 1% lift in employee engagement correlated with an additional $100,000 in annual operating income per store. Communication quality and results move together.
No surprise, then: across 25M job postings, communication shows up as a top baseline skill, and HBR places communication and presentation in the core skillset for executives.
What does “from the heart” look like?
It’s not flowery talk. It’s connected communication: staying at ease, feeling genuine care, reflecting the essence of what you heard, sharing your own feelings honestly, and giving the other person space and time to do the same.
When we connect this way, meetings stop draining energy and start returning it. And the “machinery” of business runs better.
A 4-step practice you can use today
Use this any time you’re not racing the clock. It works 1:1, in small groups, and scales with practice.
Reset to ease.
Notice your stress or reactivity. Shift attention to the center of your chest. Breathe a little slower and deeper, as if through the heart. After a minute, invite a feeling of ease and set a simple intention to stay grounded and open.
Listen with care.
While they speak, imagine care radiating out from your heart with each exhale. Receive the essence of what you’re hearing. Notice any defensiveness or judgment and fold it back into the heart.
Reflect and reveal.
Briefly reflect the gist: “I heard you say…” . Allow the other person to clarify while you continue to reflect. After several reflections, add your authentic heart-feeling: “I feel…” Keep it kind, simple, and real.
Make room and close.
Ask, “Is there anything you’d like to add or clarify?” Loop steps 2–4 until there’s a natural sense of closure and end with appreciation.
When to practice
Start with someone you trust, then expand to new people and bigger rooms. Allow time; it may feel slower at first, but heart based communication often returns energy instead of draining it. Short, frequent reps help your nervous system make this your new default.
Try this in your next conversation
Do one-minute reset: Before you speak, place attention in your heart area and take 6 slow breaths.
Speak two honest lines: “I heard you say… [their key point]. I feel… [your true feeling]. Is there anything you want to add or clarify?”
For leaders and teams
Open with ease: Begin meetings with a quick 60-second breathing reset.
Create psychological safety: Trust and honest talk thrive in safe environments.
Reflect first: Make “reflect before respond” a team rule.
Close with clarity: End by asking what’s still unclear or unspoken. Then really listen…
Communicating from the heart isn’t a luxury. It’s good business, and good living. If you want help practicing this with your team (or you just want a sparring partner for a tough conversation coming up), I’m here to support.