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Think intuition doesn’t play a role in business or your career? Then think again.
This gut feeling that something is right or wrong has incredible value when it comes to the relationships we forge and the decisions we make.
In fact, intuition is a proven and important part of effective business decision-making and leadership.
So how does it work and why should we listen to that niggling inner voice that whispers “go for it” or “steer clear”.
Intuition is a special thing
Some call it universal intelligence, others a life force that exists within everyone and everything.
But intuition resides within each one of us as a deep wisdom, an inner knowing. We can’t often put our finger on it, but it’s a feeling we have.
We can access this wonderful source of knowledge and wisdom by listening to that inner voice, which is that sixth sense – that “gut feel”.
It tells us when something feels right and when something feels off. It informs us of the positive and warns us of the negative.
There’s science to intuition
While that intuitive feeling might be hard to put your finger on, more and more scientific studies are delving into the importance of listening to that gut feeling and how it relates to business.
Among the researchers is University of Southern California neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, who heads up the Brain and Creativity Institute.
In an interview with Fast Company, he explained: “Rationality, emotion and our physical bodies are all intertwined in the way we make decisions.”
In a nutshell, it means both intuition and data assessment play an integral role in how we decide on a course of action.
The intuition side allows us to access a raft of previous experiences and emotions, which enables us to recognise patterns and gives us that “gut feel” of which course of action to take.
The data side enables us to assess the current environment and possible outcomes. Together, this creates an array of information which we base our decisions upon.
When we actively practise honing that intuition and tap into both the gut feel and data assessment, we gain an ability to make effective and swift decisions based on both our previous experience and insight, along with the current set of circumstances.
And that can be invaluable in our personal lives, in our careers, in business and in leadership.
Going with your gut
Intuition can help us determine who to work with, when to make a move, when to step away, when to say yes and when to say no.
It can protect us from repeated mistakes, allow us to take calculated risks, and give us the confidence to embark on a new adventure that just “feels right”.
So if you think intuition has little role in business and your career, think again. Personally I’ve found it an essential element of building a business and a real estate network.
It has helped us grow at the right time, allowed us to zig while others zag, and has been an important gauge when it comes to working with likeminded people who want the same outcomes we do.
So if you’re about to make a big life decision that will affect your personal life, your career and your future, don’t underestimate the importance of “going with your gut”.
There’s science to that sixth sense, and intuition is as much a part of success in this industry as any other acquired skill.
Manos Findikakis is the CEO of Agents'Agency.
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