Intuition...The Secret Of Successful Executives
September 12, 2019
Making decisions can be difficult; especially if you depend only on the five-senses and the three-dimensional world for insight. But there's a better way to solve problems...and many corporate executives know the secret. Intuition is a no fault means of dealing with the ups-and-downs of life if you're not afraid to heed its call. Most of us ignore our intuition and take the long, hard road of indecision, fear, and regrettable experiences.
Intuition knows and knows that it knows. It normally pops into your head seemingly from nowhere, manifests solutions beyond the realm of the material world, and is never wrong.
Some people might say "well, I followed my intuition and it was a disaster." I say "you didn't follow intuition. You followed the reasoning mind." The "reasoning mind" always wants to know the how, what, where, when of things and it does have its place. Even so, the reasoning mind must be redeemed, but that's another article altogether.
The piece I will refer to later in this commentary titled Intuition:The Executive Edge, states that "Intuition is like a muscle, to work well, it needs to be exercised. Intuition draws on our subconscious mental processes and incorporates previous experiences to foster new insights."
In essence, the process of intuition begins with the subconscious mind. Various experiences from deep within the psyche are calculated much like a mathematical formula. The answer, which seemingly comes out of nowhere, is actually your own mind at work drawing conclusions from all your thoughts and feelings buried deep within.
Intuition simply knows and doesn't explain. You need undaunted faith and courage to follow it. Don't get intuition confused with "instinct." Instinct is more of a reasoning phenomena and is reinforced by habit...not inspiration. It can be right-or-wrong. Intuition is never wrong.
Sure, some of you may think that intuition can be wrong sometimes. But that's an impossibility. The belief that intuition can be wrong arises because after receiving a "flash" of the right answer or the right thing to do, the reasoning mind interferes...and the inspirational thought goes right out the window. Intuition will not debate with you nor second guess itself. It is...what it is.
You have to be courageous or at least ignore your fear and "do it anyway." When you get into the habit of trusting your intuition, your life can change dramatically. You find that intuition really "looks after you, even in very small things." For example, perhaps you are looking for a particular fabric. Then, for some strange reason, you take a different route from work than you normally do. 'Lo and behold' a fabric shop that you never knew existed has the exact material you'd been searching for.
Many people could have avoided disastrous relationships had they heeded the "hunch" i.e. intuition that was trying to warn them. You've probably heard the words "I felt something was wrong but I wanted to give him/her a chance." It never ends well.
The Bible is full of wisdom, and there's so much to be learned from the greatest book ever written once you comprehend its allegorical meaning. There's a passage in Isaiah 30:21 that says "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying: This is the way, Walk thee in it." That verse alone concisely sums up intuition. Either you "heed the call" or you don't.
I love reading Self-Realization Magazine published by Self-Realization Fellowship. The fellowship was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1920. What's so beautiful about this organization is that it's not a "holier than thou" "you're a sinner" type sodality. Regardless of who or what you pray to, you will find something "Soul satisfying" about Paramahansa's teachings. The sagacity and intelligence of the magazine harmonized with a benevolent wit makes it an inspiration to anyone that reads it regardless of your religious or non-religious affiliation. The collected works are timeless and satisfies like a good meal.
In the Self-Realization 1991 edition, there is a chapter (you can always purchase past editions) titled Intuition:The Executive Edge. The article was written by a professor of management and marketing from University of North Carolina at Wilmington and condensed from Intuition: What Separates Executives From Managers. Here is a snip from the article:
"It is ironic that in the midst of the computer age, human talent may still be a scarce commodity. Herein may lie the answer to the perennial question. These top executives seem to possess skills other managers lack. In addition to the usual managerial skills, they posses intuitive skills that provide them with different perspectives and different approaches for managing in these turbulent times. Whether called insight, judgment, intuition, executive ESP, wisdom, or sixth sense, these skills help executives see things that other people don't see and incorporate factors computers still cannot handle. This quality, more than any other, may be what separates the true executive from the hundreds of thousands of managers.
The ability to distill tangible and intangible factors and to see the forest without getting lost in the trees is a mark of the true executive. The ability to see the big picture and the opportunities other, less intuitive executives cannot see may explain why Steve Jobs (founder of Apple Computer) believed that people would buy personal computers and why Fred Smith was so sure the concept of Federal Express would succeed. They capitalized on their intuitive skills and changed the way people live and work today. But they knew the opportunities were there. They also knew that if they studied every factor many times, someone else would harvest the opportunities. Today's truly great leaders, in both the public and private sectors, are visionaries and pathfinders.
Intuition is not the opposite of quantitative analysis, nor is it an attempt to eliminate quantitative analysis. The need to understand and use intuition exists because few strategic business decisions have the benefit of complete, accurate, and timely information. It would be easier to manage if we lived in a world that was totally quantifiable and predictable. As long as corporations exist in a world of rapid and unprecedented change, however, intuition will play a significant role in decision-making processes."
Though the article was written nearly three-decades ago, the wisdom portrayed in its text still applies today. I definitely understand how challenging it can be getting into the habit of trusting intuition. But I've also learned that when I ignore it, the hard road of experience leads to occurrences that could have been easily avoided.
Remember, intuition is always looking out for your bests interests. It's pure love and one of the ways The Creator helps and protects us.
