When’s the last time you found yourself with no GPS signal (and no map) yet you managed to find your destination? Likely you relied on your instincts because what else could you do?
Instinct is our inclination to act in a certain way, and it comes from both innate (inborn) as well as learned elements through impressions and experiences -- like connecting dots without knowing how.
Some of our most memorable leaders trust their instincts. Malcolm Gladwell, author of “Blink” wrote: "Great decision makers aren't those who process the most." This runs contrary to what most people think--the more we analyze, the better our decision. We see this at work and we know doing so underplays our instincts.
Sri Sharma, founder and managing director of Net Media Planet, calls instinct his “personal radar” …"Often the data you analyse confirms the instinct of your personal radar, but it can't replace it. Instinct is vital." While data is important, it’s not the answer. Our interpretation is.
The balance between insight and instinct is key for managers. We must rely on instinct, while keeping emotions in check since emotional responses may blind us to our instincts.
How do we access them more readily? By getting out of our heads through engaging in new learning experiences. Like our “Learning from Leaders” program delivered online AND face to face. Designed by 3 professional consultants in English, Swedish and German, Eva P Svensson, Heike Andreschak and I invite you to give it a try!