Gut Check

We’ve probably all had the feeling. In the midst of a conversation, a major decision, or meeting someone for the first time we get this unsettling hunch that something isn’t quite right. Sometimes we refer to this phenomenon as instinct or perhaps intuition. It’s a visceral response to our surroundings that may be intended to protect us or serve as an early warning system. To ignore this instinctual feedback is an invitation for potential disappointment or perhaps something more threatening.

I know quite a few leaders who view the world through an empathetic lens. They are often very adept at sensing the underlying feelings of others, knowing when stress is present, or simply connecting emotionally with another person. Sometimes these same leaders fail to trust their more intuitive nature because they believe that facts and logic should rule the day in the business world. After all, science requires proof and evidence while intuition offers little more than premonition or suspicion as guidance.

Before you analyze this argument for yourself, consider the times in your life when you sensed that something was wrong, even in the absence of any confirmation. I’m sure you have experienced moments like that. Our gut is often a very accurate barometer; able to predict with uncanny accuracy what is really going on behind the scenes or just below the surface. Yet few leaders cultivate this skill or trust it when making judgments and decisions.

I’m not advocating that we abandon the use of quantitative measures to assess our situations, however, without the additional perspective of intuition to guide us we will surely overlook key elements or issues. By applying empathetic listening with an intuitive grasp of the truth we could find transformative solutions to workplace and marketplace challenges.

So the next time you are facing a painful decision, a challenging obstacle, or a difficult conversation, pause and pay attention to your sixth sense - the instincts that could prove invaluable as you choose a course of action. We humans seem to know from birth what is right and wrong, just and unjust, truth and lie. Our Creator gave us a moral compass that should guide our thinking and actions. When we stray from its True North our gut tells us so. If only we would stop ignoring its signals.