We live in a corporate world driven by data. Why, then, do 85% of business leaders report feeling uneasy about the choices they’ve made recently based on cold, hard facts? It’s because data only tells half the story, which is where intuition fits in.
Intuition fills in the gaps and picks up where data leaves off. Have you ever “felt” someone staring at the back of your head? How did you know the person was there? It wasn’t data. It was intuition. You have about 120 billion neurons in the “first brain” within your skull and 100 million neurons in your “second brain” (aka, your gut). If you’re only focused on one of those brains, you’re apt to make poorly informed decisions.
For those just starting out on their entrepreneurial journeys, trusting your “gut” or intuition can feel daunting. You’re often bombarded with a flood of information, conflicting advice and new experiences. In this whirlwind, leaning on your gut might feel like navigating without a map. However, developing this trust in your intuition is crucial. It’s about honing an inner compass that guides you through decisions when clear-cut answers might not be apparent. Over time, as you gain more experience and learn from both successes and failures, what once felt like an overwhelming reliance on an unknown force will start to feel more like a trusted ally in your decision-making process.
I don’t mean to suggest that data isn’t important. It is. However, trusting your gut is just as important. Your gut can speak volumes. You just have to learn how to marry it with data to drive an informed conclusion.
If you’re new to allowing intuition into your decision-making process, discover the steps I laid out in the rest of this article I wrote for Entrepreneur, here.
Photo Credit: Entrepreneur