Intuition is the new buzz-word in business and everyone from Branson to Buffet are touting its ability to guide and direct them to greater success and higher profits. But the understanding of what Intuition really is and how it can serve us in business and in life is deeply flawed. But it is more important to understand now, than ever before.
The speed at which business transforms and the amount of information we process as entrepreneurs, business people and leaders are unmatched in history. In a recent UCLA study, it was revealed that we process over 174 newspapers worth of information daily. This is five times more data than we were receiving 20 years ago and it effects how we do business on every level.
The ability to be creative, think on the fly and make key business decisions with little time amidst the tsunami of external information is vital. Intuition is the natural intelligence that allows us to see ahead of the curve, to generate innovative ideas, to communicate powerfully and to do so without having to study spreadsheets or gather piles of data.
It is the skill we all possess that has the ability to guide us to greater business success, greater career satisfaction and more sustainable levels of innovation and service.
The 7 Attributes of Intuitive Business Leaders
1. They take action-based on Vision.
Intuitive leaders are not motivated by external goals; they are inspired by inner Vision. This subtle yet powerful shift of personal meaning and value, cultivates an expanded awareness that enables them to see and apply solutions where others cannot and allows them to meet the mission statement of their business in unique and often groundbreaking ways.
2. They set the trends -- they don't follow them.
Intuitive leaders are bored by doing the same thing that everyone else is doing and they receive great satisfaction by creating approaches, products and industries that are original and transformative. Empowered by being 'tastemakers', and rarely swayed by statistics or data, following the pack is simply not a part of their DNA.
3. They are able to let go of things that are no longer working or viable.
Intuitive leaders do not spend a lot of time focused on things that don't move the vision forward. They are able to elegantly move through difficult choices, perceived failures and situations that require them to jettison unnecessary protocol. They easily grasp the important lessons, which empower them to cultivate new plans of action and move forward with greater certainty and focus.
4. They allow others on their team to thrive, excel and contribute.
Intuitive leaders are powerfully aware that they are only a part of the whole. As people who feel and sense things deeply, they know how to support and encourage members of their team by creating trust and connection, thus generating a safe yet energized environment that brings out the innovative best in everyone.
5. They thrive when others tell them 'it can't be done.'
Intuitive leaders consider themselves to be mavericks, rebels and revolutionaries. Most would admit that they do not like to be told what to do, or how to do it. They shine when there is a problem to be solved, a need to be filled or a gap to be closed that others have given up on, or haven't been able to resolve. They excel even more when creating something that no one has even considered before and many would think impossible.
6. They ask evolved questions.
Intuitive leaders know that empowered questions lead to empowered answers. Questions such as 'How can we be different?' 'How can we be a better example of sustainable enterprise?' 'How can we serve people in a more enlightened way?' will generate more beneficial results than questions like, 'How can we do less and make more?' 'How can we improve our bottom line?' or 'How can we squash the competition?
7. They are able to cultivate solutions and courses of action in multiple directions.
Intuitive leaders do not take action based on linear thinking. That is A leads to B, leads to C. Their expanded vision allows them to design and successfully implement action plans that move in multiple directions at the same time empowering innovation and influence far more quickly than their logical counterparts.
They are able to combine experience and improvisation to cultivate an expansive middle ground of vigorous creativity that leaves old paradigms crumbling in the dust.
We've ALL Got It
Everyone has the natural ability to use their Intuition to serve them in powerful ways, in life and in business. It is not a supernatural skill gifted to some but not to others. When we accept this simple yet powerful understanding, we allow our Intuitive intelligence to become active and to guide and direct us to outcomes that serve our personal and professional 'highest good'.
By adopting some of the traits of Intuitive business leaders, you too can elevate and evolve your business practices to greater levels of success, satisfaction and service.
Simone Wright, 'The Evolutionary Mind Coach for Elite Performers and Visionary Leaders", is the author of First Intelligence: Using the Science and Spirit of Intuition. She uses her intuitive skills to assist in police investigations, missing children's cases and corporate business strategies. She has appeared on international radio and television and been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Visit her online at : www.simonewright.com