Thursday February 16, 2012
In a recent coaching session, one of my clients was struggling with a decision. Without getting into the details of what the decision was about, her struggle was with what she knew was the right thing to do versus what she felt others would want her to do.
When I asked her about the “right thing to do” and how she knew that it was the right thing, she said, “I just know. You know, in my gut. I feel it in my bones. It’s the right thing to do.” We explored how this differed from what others may want her to do and there was a big gap between the two. Ultimately it was a decision she needed to be comfortable with and how can anyone be comfortable with something that goes against their “gut” or what they “feel in their bones”?
I have a firm belief that our guts and those feelings of “just knowing something in our bones” is our intuition speaking to us. It isn’t about what may be factual or visible or something we can prove, but instead is about our own internal knowledge. I have the honor and privilege of working with many leaders who have to make serious and impactful decisions on a regular basis. Most rely on their gut. Yes, they are presented with many facts but ultimately, when asked how they make their choices, the decision is based on their own internal knowledge of what they believe is the right and best thing to do for their organization.
I call this using their leadership instinct. It often can’t be proven and sometimes cannot even be explained but you know it when you feel it. And, using your gut, (your leadership instinct) to make decisions, it is often the best way to go. As with my client, she made the decision she knew was right as opposed to what others wanted her to do. Not only was she able to live with it but ultimately, it ended up being best not only for her, but also for all who were involved.
Go with your leadership instinct. Go with your gut. It rarely leads you astray.
