“The highest levels of performance come to people who are centered, intuitive, creative, and reflective - people who know to see a problem as an opportunity.”  ~Deepak Chopra

How intuitive are you as a leader?  When was the last time you had to use your intuition?

I will never downplay making a decision based off of sound rationale or proven facts.  However, there are some times in life when you will have to depend on intuition.

We all have been in situations when we have had to use intuition.  The question is, how effective are you with making intuitive decisions?  Have you had times when you felt like you left the oven on or the house/car door unlock.  Maybe it was feeling like you left something undone at home or work.  We all have experienced these types of intuitions.  

As leaders, we have the same intuitions.  I have had to use these intuitions as a husband, father, servant of God, business owner, etc.

My greatest leadership role is being a husband and father.  There are times when these roles require me to make quick decisions, especially being a father.  There are many lessons I have taught my boys, but I did not have an instruction manual when teaching these lessons.  I had to use my intuition as a father.

This same intuitive energy has been needed with leading my personal business.  There are some business deals and relationships that require intuitive thinking to navigate.  I wish every decision I made was a straight forward, black or white decision.  In any leadership position, there are some tough decisions that require great intuition.

Have you had to use intuition as a leader?

What is Intuition?

You may not have all the information you need or enough time to make a rationale decision, but this is when you need good intuition?

Intuition is a perception of facts or truth.

But what is perception?  And how do you develop this perception?  Perception has to do with paying attention, having an awareness, insight, or discernment.

Many times I hear people use the word intuition with guessing or assuming.  This notion is far from the truth.

Although you may not have all the information needed to make a good objective decision, intuition is about using past experiences and insight from various situations to make the best decision possible.

There is no reason for you not to have great intuition as a leader.  If you are unsure about your intuition, today will reassure you or help you sharpen your intuition as a leader.  I would like to share 8 ways of sharpening your intuition as a leader.

8 Ways of Sharpening Your Intuition

1.    Trust God.

Do does your belief lie?  I trust in God.  One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 1:7, “The respect of the LORD is the beginning of all knowledge.”  God is the creator of all things, so He is a great source of knowledge and experience if you are making an intuitive decisions.

2.    Make Time For Solitude.

How peaceful is your life?  It’s hard to make any decision when you are not at peace.  Don’t wait until a decision needs to be made to search out for peace.  Consistently find time to be alone so you can quiet your mind to develop the inner peace your life desperately needs.

3.    Create.

Creativity is a big part of intuition.  Creative people are some the most intuitive people in our world.  You have to be able to think and step outside of the box (click link).  Being creative will help you to understand that there are many ways getting any job done. 

4.    Listen To Your Inner Voice.

What does your inner voice say to you when you are making decisions?  Or do you have silence from your inner voice?  Contrary to some beliefs, there is nothing wrong with having an inner voice.  We all have said the phrase, “I should have listen to my first thought.”  Or you may have said, “I should have listened to my gut instinct.”  Usually your inside voice is talking for a reason.  The reason is that it senses some type of familiarity with the decision you are attempting to make.  So, listen to it next time.

5.    Observe Everything.

Before making a decision, take a second to look at the bigger picture.  I know this is hard to do when making a quick decision, but take time and learn from everything happening to you and around you.  If you are observant it will help shape your intuitive energy by enhancing your experience.

6.    Connect Deeply With Others.

How much do you care about people?  Most intuitive decisions involve working people.  One of the most important things a leader can do to sharpen his intuition is learn how to connect deeply with people.  A big component of leadership is learning to lead people with the right attitude, right actions, and right decision making.  

7.    Enjoy Your Down Time.

Are you enjoying life?  Doing things you love will definitely improve your ability to make decisions.  This is quite different from making time for solitude.  Your down time can be anything fun and can include your family or friends.

8.    Let Go Of Any Negativity.

Hanging on to your negativity leaves little room for your positive energy to flow, which is why we discussed emptying yourself in order to gaining your success in the do you want more out of life (click link) blog.

Start practicing these 7 tips to sharpen your intuition.  Practicing these tips will help you make better intuitive decisions that will lead to successful outcomes. 

Please share your thoughts on being an intuitive leader by leaving a comment below, sending me a tweet on Twitter, or by leaving a comment on Facebook.  When was the last time you had to utilize your intuition as a leader?

Bryant