Trusting Your Gut: The Overlooked Leadership SkilI

In a world of small decisions and big sessions dragging us down to indecision, how do you decide? This wasn’t today’s scheduled post, but I pulled it forward after a conversation with a friend reminded me of something crucial: the forks in the road.

There’s something oddly profound about those moments when life slows to a crawl—like a caterpillar climbing a tree, each step deliberate yet uncertain. In those moments, every decision feels impossible, and yet, not deciding isn’t an option.

So, how do you choose?

I believe the answer lies in a lesson often dismissed in business schools: your gut. Yes, that deep, instinctual voice holds insight you might not be able to articulate or justify. It’s a compass, not a map, but one that has guided some of the best decisions in history.

And yet, we don’t talk about this enough. Maybe it’s because intuition isn’t tangible. It’s not provable or backed by a $500K business degree. But that doesn’t make it any less real—or less vital.

Studies show that intuitive decision-making often outperforms data-driven approaches, especially in high-stakes, uncertain environments. Leaders with strong gut instincts make faster and more accurate calls when the stakes are high.

Your gut is smarter than you think. Neuroscience even backs this up—the gut-brain axis connects the two systems through the vagus nerve, explaining why those hunches feel so physical. The “gut feeling” is your brain synthesizing years of experience, knowledge, and subconscious observations into a single sensation.

In fact, research by Harvard Business Review revealed that 62% of top executives attribute their success to intuition, particularly when decisions involve risk or incomplete information.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Your gut is smarter than you think. Intuition isn’t guesswork—it’s your subconscious integrating everything you’ve learned and experienced. When a decision feels “off,” it’s worth pausing and exploring why.
2. When logic stalls, let instinct lead. Sometimes, we overanalyze. Data and logic can only take you so far, especially when the variables are uncertain. Your intuition is what fills in the gaps.
3. Decisiveness sets great leaders apart. The ability to make calls when the answers aren’t clear is one of the most vital leadership skills. Intuition isn’t about ignoring facts; it’s about blending them with your instincts to move forward.

So how do you put this into action?

1. Pause and listen to your gut. The next time you’re stuck, step away. Let your instincts guide you toward clarity.
2. Test your instincts on smaller decisions. Start with low-stakes choices to build confidence in trusting your gut. The more you practice, the stronger your intuition becomes.
3. Combine intuition with logic. Use your gut to point the way, then validate your path with data or a second opinion.
4. Encourage your team to trust theirs. Create a culture where instinct and analysis go hand in hand. Trust breeds collaboration and innovation.

At the fork in the road, where analysis stalls and no decision feels right, trust the quiet whisper inside you. Your gut holds the wisdom no degree or spreadsheet can teach.

The caterpillar climbing the tree may not see the whole forest, but it instinctively knows its path. So do you.

Resources

• "The Power of Intuition in Decision-Making," Harvard Business Review
• "How Executives Use Gut Instincts to Navigate Uncertainty," Forbes
• "The Gut-Brain Axis and Decision-Making," Neuroscience News
• "The Role of Leadership Intuition in Employee Engagement," Gallup