Gut: The instrument of instinct |

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When it comes to making decisions, your gut is the most sophisticated tool you’ll ever consult.

by Lynn Robinson
December 2006

You’ve seen it mentioned in just about every business book published in the last decade: the declaration that it’s important to “Trust your gut.” It sounds so easy when you read the words or someone exhorts you to “Go with your instincts,” “Listen to your inner voice” or “Heed your intuition.” It almost sounds as if there’s a magic switch labeled INSIGHT NOW that others are able to turn on at a moment’s notice and instantly receive wise counsel.

Why intuition?

Shira Miller, president of a boutique public relations agency in Atlanta, Ga., says intuition is one of the most powerful tools she uses to run her business. “My insights arrive in the form of visual ideas in my brain. A year ago, we had the opportunity to handle all aspects of an event called ‘The Search for Atlanta’s Funniest Accountant.’ My internal thought balloon lit up like a pinball machine with intuitive ideas and concepts for publicity. The event was a success beyond my wildest dreams. I couldn’t have done it without my intuition!”

Once thought of as the domain of the gifted few, intuition is, in fact, readily available to us all. It’s a resource that, if nurtured, can lead to increased sales, profitable investments, creative inventions, successful hires, advantageous negotiations, bigger profits and increased accuracy in forecasting business trends.

An international study of 13,000 executives by Jagdish Parikh of the Harvard Business School reveals that most of them rely equally on the skills of the left and the right brain. However, 80 percent of the executives surveyed credited their success to intuition. This is backed up by a recent study by executive search firm Christian & Timbers, whose research shows that fully 45 percent of corporate executives now rely more on instinct than on facts and figures to run their businesses.

Businesspeople around the world have proclaimed the importance of this inner wisdom. “The crazier the times are, the more important it is for leaders to develop and to trust their intuition,” suggests management guru Tom Peters.

Clothing designer Donna Karan posits that “one of our greatest gifts is our intuition. It is a sixth sense we all have-we just need to learn to tap into and trust it.”

Richard Branson, the entrepreneurial founder of Virgin Airlines and Virgin Records, states, “I rely far more on gut instinct than researching huge amounts of statistics.”

When should you trust your gut?

There are plenty of times when logic and analysis won’t provide the answers you need. That’s when it’s important to tune in and listen up. For example:

• When there’s insufficient data
• When you need to make a decision quickly
• When there’s too much information
• When your data seems to support several different options
• When your individual or group vision has become cloudy
• When you’re stuck and can’t think your way out
• When you need to come up with outside-of-the-box ideas
  
  

How does intuition communicate?

While intuition is often described as a gut feeling, there are many other ways this inner knowing alerts you to its presence.

Physical sensations: A knot in your stomach, a hot flash, cold shivers, tension in your neck or shoulders, and a generalized sense of lightness or heaviness are all possible signs that intuition is at work.

Emotion: Intuitive information often comes through your feelings or emotions. Feelings of relief, enthusiasm, passion, eagerness and excitement indicate good decisions. Conversely, if you’re making a decision that may lead you astray, you’re more likely to feel heavy, depressed, drained or bored.

Auditory: Many people report that intuition comes to them through a “still, quiet inner voice” that may sound perceptively different from normal everyday inner chatter. It’s often characterized as a nonjudgmental or neutral voice.

Image: The old adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” pertains to this form
of intuitive information. Intuition often communicates through symbolic images.
Epiphany: Otherwise known as an “a-ha!” moment, an epiphany is a flash of insight or knowing. People report that they suddenly know something, but don’t know how they know. Epiphanies often arrive when you least expect them, such as while showering, washing the dishes or walking the dog.

Dreams: Dreams can provide a rich source of guidance for insight in all forms when you learn how to use them. People report coming up with inventions, creative solutions, answers to complex issues and ideas for making money, all while sound asleep.

We all receive intuitive information. Like any skill, the more you practice intuition, the more yours will improve. As you continue to develop this talent, you’ll find you rely on it more and more. Practice opens up the information flow of intuitive insights.

You’ll find that answers come unbidden, popping into your mind and steering you toward prosperity, strong leadership and a happier outlook. And there’s a big bonus: You won’t be bogged down by hours of analysis and research.

It really does work like that. So sit back, relax and listen for that still, quiet inner voice. Can you hear it? It’s saying, “Trust your gut. It’s the best consultant you’ll ever have.”

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lynnLynn a.A. robinsonRobinson (lynnrobinson.com) is anthe author of Trust Your Gut: How the Power of Intuition Can author,Grow Your Business, and a speaker and leading expert on intuition. Email Lynn at editor@executivetravelmag.com.