I’m sure you know that your brain is comprised mainly of two sides – your left brain and your right brain. You’ve probably heard people refer to themselves as “left-brained” or “right-brained” all throughout your career. Neither is “better” than the other. Both sides of our brain are extremely powerful and can serve us well – both personally and professionally.
First of all, if you’re not familiar with the left-brain, right-brain idea, the basic concept is this: your left-brain is centered around logic and analytics. Things like sequential thinking, mathematics, facts, and thinking in words. Your right brain is your visual side – or the one most often referred to as the “intuitive side” of our mind. The right brain is responsible for imagination, intuitive thinking, nonverbal cues, and thinking visually rather than in words.
But while many of us can consider ourselves more of one than the other, the fact is that when we can learn to leverage both – to use our whole mind, essentially – we can get the best of both worlds.
Some of the greatest leaders and entrepreneurs of our lifetime – Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk – have expressed that while they always leaned on experience and knowledge, they also sometimes just needed to trust what they felt was right. Their intuition – those gut feelings you’re always hearing about – proved to be every bit as beneficial as a lifetime of analytics. They could probably be largely attributed with bringing the term “business intuition” to the forefront of professional discussions.
But I know that you’re probably not sitting down with the Steve Jobs’ and Oprah Winfrey’s of the world on a regular basis, so I encourage you to think of some of the best managers or leaders you’ve personally met in your lifetime. What made them so memorable? Was it their quick decision making that allowed their teams to execute faster than the competition? Was it the way they showed they were personally invested in you and your emotional well being because they could sense when something was wrong or off in your demeanor?
Was it because they just simply seemed to always know the right thing to say to people at the right time, every time?
These are all qualities that make leaders and employees alike stand out. They may seem to do it so effortlessly that they’re not even trying. You may not realize it – heck, they may not even realize it – but their ability to adapt quickly, speak on the right level with who they’re interacting with, and overall create an exceptional work environment is a result of their intuition.
Of course there is room to be analytical. We need to look at facts and figures to determine what we’re doing, what’s working and what isn’t. That’s essential to professional growth in every capacity. But when it comes to things like breaking into new markets, or innovating new products and services, or finding just the right way to get to market quickly and with style – well, we don’t always have the analytics to help us. If it’s something we never experienced before, what do we have at our disposal to help us determine the right course of action? Your intuition.
Learning to trust your intuition – that what you know is the right course of action – can help us thrive in the workplace. It helps us have confidence in our ideas and decision-making, and can also help us be more open to change. In industry landscapes that are constantly changing, being able to trust your gut to stay one step ahead of the game is imperative, and you only get that one way. Trust your gut – trust your intuition – and you’ll be amazed where it can take you.