“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
― Bob Samples
Do you value intuition? How do you balance intuition with the rational? This past year I attended a leadership conference. A theme connected to intuition stood out it me. One of the topics was on “anticipatory leadership.” This is being ready to anticipate where change is happening so that we harness it as an opportunity instead of reacting to it. I also heard speakers refer to intuition as a part of their success in leading.
It confirmed within me the importance of valuing intuition as a part of your leadership. So how do we cultivate our intuition?
Authenticity
A foundation to intuition is authenticity. To hear from your intuition, you must be comfortable with your inner self. You need to be able to label your feelings and search for the thoughts and beliefs connected to those feelings. It is asking yourself questions, and then being open to the answers that open up. It is not always linear and takes the risk of walking into the unknown. It is a search for clarity, not for correctness.
When we are comfortable with who we are, our strengths, purpose and value, then we are more open to our intuition. We can then balance it with the rational mind. We can have the facts and figures, but then use it as a springboard to see beyond.
Listening
Our intuitive voice is usually not a loud voice. We must learn to pay attention to it. We may have learned to ignore it and put it to the side. This is where our beliefs about intuition are important to recognize. If you were taught to only value the rational mind, then you may need to learn how to reconnect with your intuition.
Listening to your intuition is unique to you. A phrase that I hear commonly with intuition is, “I feel it in my gut.” When this happens, you need to stop and ask questions. What is that gut feeling trying to say? Search for clarity. You can also practice connecting to your intuition by having intentional times of reflection. Bring questions to this time of reflection and then listen. Look for the point of clarity. As you practice listening to your intuition, you will notice how you can become sensitive to it throughout your day.
Others
Intuition becomes the most powerful when we connect it with others. Intuition can bring you to a point of clarity, but when you share it with others, it brings it to a point of confirmation. To share with others, you need a place of trust where ideas can be freely expressed. Angela Ahrendts describes this in her TED talk, called The Power of Human Energy. It is where people’s deepest thoughts can flow without insecurities. When people share at this level, intuition can flow. This is where anticipatory leadership and innovation are nurtured and created.
A leader was sharing with me how she was leading her team in a discussion of their strategic plan. When they hit one point of discussion, the energy in the room rose as people became deeply engaged. She knew to keep the discussion there and not just push through an agenda. She was listening to her intuition to guide her in how she was leading.
Some of the most powerful times in my life have come from sharing within a trusted group what we are hearing from an intuitive level and then seeing the points of clarity and commitment to next steps come from that discussion. How are you going to develop and engage your intuition today?