4 Reasons Intuition Is an Essential Leadership Skill

If you’re a business leader, probably. Entrepreneurs and business leaders are renowned for being tough as nails, highly rational and skeptical of airy fairy concepts. On the surface, intuition might sound like the latter.

But what if I told you that intuitive business requires less effort, and delivers better results? Your ears would probably perk up.

Alongside creativity, risk-taking and resilience, intuition is the key trait that all business leaders should lean into. Intuition is generally accepted to be the information we receive instinctively, without the need for conscious reasoning or fact.

Also known as “sixth-sense”, “gut feeling” and “inner knowing”, intuition refers to our ability to subconsciously receive information. It’s important to note that intuition isn’t pure instinct, and it’s not chaos either. Intuition is the subtle voice that resides inside of us all and shows us the right path to take.

If you’re not already convinced that you need a little more intuition in your life, here are four reasons that it’s one of the most underrated business (and life) skills.

Related: Go With Your Gut: How to Use Your Intuition to Succeed in Business

1. Intuition keeps you aligned

Deep down, we all know when something is "off."

But it’s easy to ignore that gut feeling when our mind tells us that something is the "better" choice. Rationality can tell us that a business deal, opportunity or relationship is good for us. When deep down, we know it’s not.

When we follow our intuition, we avoid the heartache of taking a path that’s not aligned with our higher mission. If your intuition tells you something is off, it’s off. Run.

2. You can speed up response time

In a world where everyone is time-poor, speeding up decisions can be a superpower. Studies have shown that leading with intuition speeds up your response time.

This alone isn’t that impressive, so it’s good news that the same study found that “nonconscious emotional information can boost accuracy and confidence.” You heard that right. Leading with intuition makes you quicker and more accurate.

As an entrepreneur or business leader, this can be an invaluable skill. But it’s important to highlight that data, processes and facts also have their place. The best results tend to come when intuition complements the hard evidence.