More On Monday Intro Edition: Intuition

Unlock your potential, Become More personally & professionally

Below is the More on Monday edition of my UnLocking More newsletter (Subscribe on Substack). It is a weekly edition, on Mondays, that will focus on developing our emotional intelligence and leadership skills in a world being disrupted by AI. Enjoy this free preview of week 1. -Jeremy

This weekly edition of the UnLocking More newsletter is designed to help us develop the uniquely human traits that will help us thrive in a world once again being disrupted by a tectonic technological shift—the world with AI. Today, emotional intelligence and leadership that fosters self-awareness, resilience, and effectiveness, both personally and professionally, are more important than ever.

In a world where technology and AI handle more and more tasks, human traits—such as empathy, intuition, kindness, gratitude, and creativity—are what truly set people apart. But becoming more isn’t a one-time act, it’s an ongoing journey of reflection, intention, and mindful action.

Each week, More on Monday will focus on a key trait that supports the development of emotional intelligence and leadership. The 26 Key Traits are organized under a, you guessed it,?MORE framework:

• M: Mindfulness and Mastery Traits: Personal Mastery (Self-awareness, Self-regulation, and Self-reflection), Emotional Intelligence, Gratitude, Balance, Resilience, Intuition, Mindfulness
• O: Optimism and Opportunity Traits: Optimism, Hope, Perseverance, Resolution, Motivation, Curiosity, Vision.
• R: Relationships and Responsibility Traits: Empathy, Social Awareness, Conflict Resolution, Listening, Sincerity, Kindness
• E: Execution and Effectiveness Traits: Critical Thinking, Decision-Making, Creativity, Courage, Adaptability, Temperance?

A Simple Model for Development: Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Mapping

To guide our growth, we’ll use a simple framework that helps break down our development into four categories:

1. Knowledge: The information you gather and apply—what you know, what you’re learning.
2. Skills: The abilities you hone through practice—what you develop through experience.
3. Abilities: The natural talents and capabilities you bring to the table—what you refine over time.
4. Mapping: This is how you will assess where you stand in relation to each trait. It’s a way of understanding your unique combination of traits and skills.

Our goal is to focus on one key trait each week, encouraging you to assess yourself for that trait and providing reflections to help you improve. By the end of the week, you’ll have a better sense of where you stand, what you’ve learned, and where to go next.

Understanding Your Mapping: What It Is and Why It Matters

Before advancing much further and moving into this week’s trait, allow me to add some important context. "Mapping" is a way of understanding your unique combination of traits and skills—like your professional and personal DNA. Just as no two people have the same fingerprint, no two people have the same mapping. Everyone possesses the same traits but the degree to which each person embodies these traits varies, creating a unique profile—your mapping.

Think of mapping as a scale for each trait. For instance, when it comes to handling conflict, some individuals may lean toward avoiding conflict altogether, while others have developed the ability to resolve it constructively. Both are valid, but it’s important to recognize where you stand. While avoiding conflict might work in some situations, at other times, conflict needs to be addressed for growth or progress. Knowing where you fall on this scale can help you understand how to adapt in different situations and where growth might be necessary.

Imagine every trait in your mapping—whether it’s listening, curiosity, or intuition (our focus this week)—exists on a sliding scale from low to high. The key is awareness. Being aware of your personal mapping allows you to reflect on your current strengths and identify areas for growth.

Why Mapping is Essential for Growth

Self-reflection on your mapping is crucial to becoming more. Without knowing where you currently stand, it’s difficult to see where you need to go. That’s what More on Monday is all about—helping you become more aware of your personal and professional skills, your unique mapping, and the areas in your life that you want to develop.

And remember: You are one person. Your personal and professional self are intertwined, and growth in one area often fuels growth in the other. True development happens when you’re able to be your full self—at work and at home. The goal is to reach your full potential, and that starts with understanding your mapping.

Wow, I know that was a lot of background, but I felt it would be helpful to frame the More on Monday newsletter. Going forward we’ll dive directly into the traits. So without further ado:

This Week’s Focus: Intuition

Intuition is often described as a “gut feeling” or inner knowing that helps guide decisions when logic alone doesn’t have all the answers. In leadership and personal growth, developing and trusting your intuition is key to navigating complex situations. It allows you to make decisions faster and with greater confidence. This week, we’ll explore how to better understand and strengthen your intuition so you can rely on it more effectively, both professionally and personally.

Assess Yourself: Intuition

Where do you currently stand in terms of intuition? How often do you trust your instincts? Use these questions to help assess your current relationship with intuition:

• Is intuition a trait you’ve considered in relation to your success at work? Have you considered how your intuition differentiates you from others?
• Do you frequently rely on your intuition when making decisions? If not, why not?
• In what areas of life (personal or professional) do you tend to trust your gut feelings? Where do you ignore them?
• Are you more likely to second-guess yourself, or do you confidently follow your instincts?
• When you second-guess yourself, why?
• Has following your intuition led to any poor or hasty decisions?

Reflective Prompt for the Week:

This week, take a moment before making any significant decision and ask yourself: “What is my intuition telling me?” What is my intuition telling me? Pause and reflect—this isn’t about rushing to judgment but giving space to those initial feelings, ideas, and insights. Track them as you move toward your final decision.

By the end of the week, take a few moments to reflect on how often you listened to your intuition. Were there times when you wished you had trusted it more? What difference did it make in the decisions where you relied on it? This reflection will help you tune into your instincts more readily going forward.

Considerations For Strengthening Your Intuition:

1. Trust Your Gut: Start by listening to your first instincts, even if they seem unclear at first. Instead of dismissing them, reflect on where those feelings might come from.
2. Practice Quieting Your Mind: Take moments throughout the day to quiet your thoughts. Meditation, deep breathing, or taking walks can help you become more attuned to subtle insights.
3. Reflect on Past Decisions: Look back at times when you followed your intuition. How did it turn out? Were there moments when you ignored your gut and later regretted it? Use these reflections to reinforce your connection with your inner guidance.
4. Create Space for Reflection: Intuition often emerges when you give yourself the space to process. Build time into your routine to step back and reflect on decisions instead of rushing through them.

Final Thought

Developing intuition is about trusting your inner compass and learning to balance it with logic. Like any skill, it strengthens with practice. As you work on tuning into your intuition this week, remember that the goal is progress, not perfection. Each step you take helps build a deeper understanding of yourself and your decision-making process.

Until next Monday, be well,

-Jeremy

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Join the UnLocking More Newsletter, a newsletter from Jeremy Victor, on the modernity of work, the intersection of human potential and AI, and more ... written for Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z as we navigate a world at work once again being disrupted by technology.

To learn more about me, and the latest projects I am working on, visit: www.jeremyvictor.com.