Intuition for small business leaders
I am "CA" Atreya (PMP, MBA), the author of this blog. I help businesses in Atlantic Canada achieve their BHAG successfully. You may subscribe to this blog using a feed reader (RSS).
Einstein once said, “there is no logical path leading to these laws. They can be reached only by intuition and it is based on an intellectual love of objects of experience.” Tom Peters said, “Leaders trust their guts… the crazier the times are, the more important it is for leaders to develop and trust their intuition.” Former CEO of Hewlett Packard said, “Engage your heart, your gut and your mind in every decision you make.”
As a small business leader do you use your intuition to make business decisions? If your answer is no, then you should. Your right brain is more powerful than your left brain. Your body knows more than your brain. I think we have put so much faith in analysis and numbers that we often miss the intuitive aspects. Intuition is non-logical thinking, a feeling that cannot be described, a gut feel, or a “you just know it” feeling.
I consider myself a very rationale and logical person. I need to know the numbers and try to get every bit of information I can get my hands on before making a business decision. Some times, I have found the numbers and my intuition do not align. But I trust my intuition.
Intuition emerges from sub-consciousness. A successful leader draws upon a wealth of information learnt by experience. The brain stores information as patterns and trends. Any insight gleaned from prior experiences is also stored. When a situation exhibits similar patterns, the sub-conscious mind is triggered and lessons from the past are retrieved. You do not have to make any effort; the mind just works. Of course, intuitions may be wrong too. It depends on whether you have stored the right information in the first place.
When your head tell you to go one direction and your gut tells you to go in another, what do you do? Here are some things I do when this happens:
1. Write down the issue: Writing it on paper helps me pin point the exact issue at hand. It does not leave room for any ambiguity. Moreover, it helps set expectations about the issue with the team.
2. Sleep on it: This helps me the most. In face of a major decision, I always let the issue rest. I go out for a movie or hang out with friends. But I do not not think about it at all. I usually have an answer or a course of action the next morning.
3. Ask: I find it useful to discuss the issue with a third person - especially my wife. In addition to getting unbiased insights from them, voicing my thoughts aloud also enables me to hear myself.
Shakti Gawain once said, “Trusting your intuition means tuning in to the energy you feel, following that energy every moment and trusting that it will lead you to where you want to go.” Intuition is intangible. It cannot be seen or heard. You just know it. It is your strongest business ally. Trust it.
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