5 Areas to Develop Your Leadership Intuition

At Oxford Leadership, we believe that intuitive intelligence is a key factor in leadership development. We can probably all recall situations where we had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right about a business issue but ignored our intuition or ‘inner voice’. If that’s the case, we may well be underutilising one of the most powerful leadership tools out there – our intuitive intelligence.

By relying on making decisions that are based on empirical evidence rather than trusting our gut instinct, we’re doing ourselves a massive disservice. Some of the best leaders, managers and strategists use intuition first, then back it up with facts.??

They have learned not only to trust their instincts but to obey them. That means listening to your own internal voice and acknowledging your internal reference point rather than rushing to embrace the myriad references and voices of others. It’s a learned skill – the more you use it, the more reliable it becomes.

?Some of the situations where you rely on intuitive intelligence in business may be in a crisis when a rapid response is needed, when change is happening at high speed, or in a tricky situation when the facts are hard to articulate without sounding contradictory.

?Embracing your intuitive intelligence in situations like these can be the difference between success and failure when it comes to leadership.

Here are five areas that you can practice and focus on to develop your intuitive intelligence:

1.??Be present – become mentally quiet and develop an ‘eye of the storm’ mental posture, simply observing what’s happening. Centre yourself mentally and disconnect from the emotions of the situation.

2.??Get the whole picture – Become a detached observer of the situation and embrace the big picture. See what’s gone on before. Recall lessons from the past. Look at every different perspective and data point. This engages your intelligent memory and other people’s as well.?

3.??Clarify your intention – Be clear about your purpose. Bring it to the front of your mind. Your intention becomes the filter through which you observe a situation. This provides focus and helps you zoom in on the things that are most important.?

4.??Engage your values – Either consciously or unconsciously, all choices and decisions are driven by what you value the most. The clearer you are about your values and principles, the faster and more reliable your decision making and choice selection will be.?

5.??Fierce resolve – This can be a scary one; total and absolute commitment follows when you feel certain the things you ‘feel’ are right. Your ability to trust and execute choices based on that flash of insight requires consistent alignment of intention, words and actions. Great leaders will have a fierce resolve to stay the course and do what needs to be done.

Follow the link to read more about how you can develop the intuitive intelligence for yourself and in your organisation : https://www.oxfordleadership.com/intuitive-intelligence-leadership/