And Speaking Of... The Most Powerful Tool on Your Professional Journey

The most powerful tool on my professional journey has been my ability to access my intuition. Intuition is not a practical, tangible, or measurable tool – but rather an invisible force and inner feeling that has the ability to guide you down your path and keep you tapped into your true purpose.

This is not a tool that is primarily spoken about or taught at business meetings and yet using your intuition and feeling comfortable leaning into your internal GPS is just about the most powerful strategy you can adopt on your professional journey.

In 2014, when Gifted Travel Network was first taking off, I attended a Deloitte business conference in Toronto. I was one of the only females at that event, and I stood out with my pink suit in a sea of black suits. But I digress!

I attended a breakout session with one of the top professors from the University of Toronto, and he solicited the audience for their answers on strategies for making difficult decisions. Every answer given was textbook answers and all practical. After several responses, the professor shared that while everyone gave great answers, the most powerful strategy was not shared.

Before the professor responded, I kept telling myself, "Trust your gut, Vanessa."?I was too shy to speak up that day and admittedly felt intimidated. I laughed at myself because surely the professor wouldn't talk about trusting your gut at a business conference. That topic is typically reserved for women's networking events with friends and professional colleagues who talk about the "woo-woo" side of how to make decisions.

As the professor scanned the room for additional answers, I sat quietly in my seat. Finally, the professor gave up and shared that the most powerful tool for making any business decision came down to?intuition. I was floored. I felt so validated that I almost jumped out of my seat and gave a "Hell YEAH!" Instead, I did an internal happy dance in my chair!

I have referred to that moment so many times over the years. It was a pivotal experience in my professional journey because I needed someone (for better or for worse) in an academic position to validate and confirm that trusting your gut was not "new-age nonsense" but a critical component of how anyone does business.?

Since 2014, I have unapologetically leaned into accessing my intuition. Additionally, as I grow in my leadership role, I increasingly lean in and ask GTN team members and advisors at meetings,?"What does your gut say?"?The answers and solutions I hear when I pose that question are truly amazing.

As a leader of a growing team, asking this question helps me shift from imposing my lens and solutions. I have learned to let my team find their path and strategies and aid by guiding them to use their intuition.

I find when I don't take a moment to tap into my intuition, that is when situations or conversations do not work out the way I intended. The result of rushing and powering through projects or meetings is when I am most often in a negative mental state. I feel exhausted and set the wrong tone for those around me.

If you don't believe me or are skeptical, I encourage you to consider the WIFI analogy.?

Yes, WIFI.?

A WIFI signal is invisible, yet we know it is there. After turning on our computers, we intentionally click the WIFI icon and select the most robust and secure signal available to us, right? What if we thought about tapping into our intuition using the same process?

Just like you need to turn on your computer, how are you showing up energetically?

Are you "on" or in "sleep mode?" Do you need to update first? And are you pausing to intentionally focus on the subject so you can tap into a solution?

Often, we need to engage in short meditation or deep breathing exercises to recenter or refocus. Once you feel like your internal GPS is alert, shift your mind from your head to your heart and listen to your gut. Tap into the strongest signal available to you, and just listen.

This is just one way to tap into and access your intuition. I've been on a journey to hone this skill. As my leadership responsibilities increase, I feel called more than ever to ensure I am trusting my gut and leveraging what is (in my opinion) the most essential tool on your professional journey.

Please share your thoughts, comments, or observations on my LinkedIn article in the comments below. I welcome your stories of how you have tapped into your intuition to make a business decision that worked out beautifully. Let's share and keep the conversation going!