Intuition is a "catch phrase" in management literature these days.
Whether seen in Myers-Briggs: in the New York Times "Corner Office" segment written by Adam Bryant, or Daniel Robin & Associates well written article entitled " The Eight Essential Skills of Coaching", references are many and varied.
In these days of logic and broadband, what is intuition and why does it matter? Derived from the Latin, intuition means to look inside or contemplate.
The Greeks interestingly implied superiority of intellectual intuitions compared with information received from the senses...
of course they are known as some of the all time profound philosophers.
Scholars such as Aristotle, Einstein, Freud who make their marks in the areas of religion, philosophy, the human condition, had the unique capacity to see beyond and beneath that visible to mere mortals.
They imply, infer, and come to an appreciation/understanding/interpretation of the mist behind the words, drawings, and human utterances.
So it is with effective corporate leaders.
Kip Kindell of the Container Store says that intuition is " the sum total of your life experience".
He obviously understands the chemical components of intuition.
The alleged power of the mind to perceive certain self evident truths ( Answers.
com) is a powerful attribute.
Stated another way, this is the ability to see and understand what isn't obvious: but may be inferred, implied or indeed hidden.
This attribute is a difference maker between effective and statistics driven leaders, hiring executives, and coaches.
What do "intuitive types" have in common? How do they acquire their skill? First of all, they see and hear mega levels above the norm.
Yes, woman's intuition is sometimes described as the ability to discern by observing body language.
That is certainly true.
Intuitive leaders can feel and distill the chemistry in a room.
They anticipate what follows next in the conversation.
Like a chess master they anticipate moves before they are played.
I like to refer to this as focus.
* Focus in most situations, all the time.
* Their intellectual and personal antennae are tuned in, all the time * They pay attention and remember events, people, nuances, and conversations * They are patient In the context of a business meeting, they are the individuals who sum up conversations, who know when to interject: who make observations and suggestions that are " outside of the box", and startle us with their solutions.
When selecting new employees or new leaders, intuition is a primary criteria.
Select individuals who are: · Curious about the world around them · Focused on others not on themselves · Are proven listeners: and action takers · Can identify the "needs of others" · Demonstrate their curiosity for others: what have they read: what are their personal values: · How to they distinguish themselves above others in being intuitive