Notes from the Talk

There’s a difference between instinct and intuition.

Instinct is triggered by events in the physical world.

Intuition is cognitive. It’s knowing without knowing why we know.

The problem with intuition from a leadership standpoint is that it’s virtually impossible to defend or explain to anybody else. That makes it fragile in a world where everyone wants data, information, and explanations.

Intuitive processing is experienced as a feeling, but it’s acquired through knowledge and experience. You feel it and sense it before you understand it and can explain it.

The organization, team, or department that fosters intuitive decision-making is going to make better and quicker decisions.

Here are five practical ways to leverage intuition in your organization:

1. Ask this question of your team before making a final decision: Is there a tension that deserves my attention? If something bothers you about something you’re considering, let it bother you. Resist the urge to rationalize intuition away.
   
   
2. When you catch yourself selling yourself on an idea or option, you should hit pause. Odds are you are reasoning yourself past your intuition. You rarely have to sell yourself on a good or the right idea.
   
   
3. Don’t confuse ambition with intuition. Ambition feels like I want. Intuition feels like we should. Ambition is connected to an appetite for something. Intuition feels like a moral imperative. Your ambition has the potential to silence your intuition.
   
   
4. Discover who has intuition for what and include them strategically. The organizational chart is rarely your friend as it relates to mining intuition in decision-making.
   
   
5. Make each meeting a “first impressions matter” zone. Invite those on your team to share their initial thoughts. You might need to call out those who aren’t quick to speak up.

As a leader, listen to your gut and create a culture where there’s room for both information and intuition in your organization.