Intuition & application of Intuition: Explained through a case study!

Intuition: this flurry of a concept, has been talked about in different contexts. It has been mused as a lucky coincidence or occurrence which happens on its own. It is not generally considered to be something which can be directed or polished as a skill.?

What if Intuition could be used at will? What if your Intuition becomes that x-factor which you have been looking for all this time? What if your intuition becomes your tool for success?

Read this real-life case study below where a leader consistently used her intuitive capabilities to drive the winds towards her. The only problem was she did not know that it was her intuition guiding her all along and this intuition could potentially be an answer to her biggest struggle.

"A woman at an Associate Director level in a large MNC has been struggling with something she learned to call over time - ‘imposter syndrome.’ She approached me as a coaching client to get more clarity on her confidence and skills as a leader. A very aware and enlightened individual herself, she still struggled to view her success as her own and always fell back on doubting her adequacy in what she brought to the table.??

One of the approaches we took was to decode how she cracked one of the most important deals for her company. Let us go straight to the boardroom where she is presenting to this client for the first time after joining the team:

“Although with heightened nerves and uncertainty about herself, she began the presentation with a very well-prepared and rehearsed script. A few minutes into it, she noticed that the client is more interested to know her point of view than just the data-related strategy presented on the screen. She could conclude this as they were asking indirect questions, addressing her by her first name and more such subtle clues. She instinctively knew how to capitalize on the client’s communication style. She seamlessly shifted her approach from scripted to conversational, still covering all relevant aspects of the topic. She had started the presentation with a one-to-one style, speaking directly to the head of the other business. Taking an opportunity she transitioned that approach, by inviting all members present in the meeting from both sides to provide their points of view. This inevitably built trust and the client got the best of what they were looking for.”?

This is how we broke down this presentation of forty minutes:

-???????Preparation: she had acquired all knowledge she could on the topic of the presentation beforehand and rehearsed consistently to be prepared for any contingencies

-???????Signs: Sticking to the script would have been an easier option for her, but she could not ignore the subtle signs the client offered intermittently. She chose to build on the conversational style the client seemed to be more interested in.?

-???????Intuition: She was backed by the knowledge she had acquired. She noticed the client appreciated the knowledge and yet needed a different approach to reciprocate to her cause. She picked up on the subtle cues and adopted a different approach which got the client more invested. She kept them interested effortlessly from then on. She also forgot about her heightened nerves, became completely authentic in her delivery, and offered more to the conversation than she had planned and prepared for. It built on her confidence as well.?

-???????Trust: She also started building on the trust she could establish at that moment. She invited all the members present to join in and provide value to each other and the best outcome prevailed in the end.?

She closed the deal in that meeting itself.?"

Through this process of decoding her own experience, she acknowledged that she could easily spot signs when the situation is and isn’t working in her favour. The art of pivoting when the situation calls for it is one of her natural tendencies. Investigating further into this, she could sight many examples in different contexts when she could do this, and how that helped her make effective decisions.?

Now with more conviction, she acknowledged her intuitive capabilities, and we co-created a path together to hone them further over a period. She could realize in this period that her intuitive skills are her north star. We formulated ways together for her to redirect the energy from analyzing ‘imposter syndrome,’ towards consciously building on her intuition.??

Intuition is innate for us. It is not just an impulse; it is backed with experience and knowledge acquired. Just like any other skill it can be polished, used consciously, and to our benefit.?