A Personal Experience

In my last mandate, I completely restructured a dysfunctional marketing organization. During a workshop, the CEO at the time described my approach as a result of "crystal-clear analysis," claiming that I had turned the organization from head to toe. I disagreed: it was my gut feeling, my intuition, that had guided me. However, the CEO stuck to his perspective, and we eventually settled on the term “crystal-clear reasoning.” This experience highlights how difficult it often is to acknowledge intuition as a key factor in decision-making.

What Is Intuition?

Intuition is often described as a kind of "gut feeling" – decisions or judgments made without conscious thought or detailed analysis. It is based on unconscious pattern recognition, fueled by experience, knowledge, and emotions.

Our brain plays a crucial role in this process. Intuitive decisions originate in the limbic system, a region strongly linked to emotions, memories, and unconscious processing. Information is processed at lightning speed and compared with stored experiences. This ability has been evolutionarily advantageous, allowing us to react quickly and effectively in critical situations – whether by sensing danger or seizing an opportunity.

For example, an experienced manager can often instinctively predict whether a project will succeed because their brain subconsciously recognizes similarities with previous projects – even if they can’t explicitly explain why.

Why is our brain so good at this? It has an incredible capacity for pattern recognition. Throughout daily experiences, we constantly absorb impressions and connections that remain unnoticed on a conscious level. These implicit data points are unconsciously processed and become available in decision-making situations.

Intuition vs. Data-Driven Decision-Making

In a world dominated by data and analytics, intuition often seems irrational. However, studies suggest that intuitive decisions are often just as effective—if not better—than data-driven ones. This is because intuition relies on fast, unconscious connections built from years of experience. In most cases, intuition is supported by heuristics—practical problem-solving strategies that leverage experience-based rules of thumb.

A study by the Institute for Leadership and Human Resource Management at the University of St. Gallen found that managers in complex, high-uncertainty situations achieve better results when they trust their intuition (combined with heuristics) rather than relying solely on data-driven analysis. The study emphasizes that intuitive decisions tend to be superior when:source).

Speed matters – Intuitive decisions are often faster because they don’t require extensive analysis.

Practicality is key – In dynamic situations or under uncertainty, intuition provides clarity when data is incomplete or time is limited.

Why Intuitive Decisions Are Often the Right Ones

Intuition taps into our “implicit knowledge”—the sum of our experiences that we cannot consciously retrieve. For example, experienced executives recognize patterns in complex situations faster because their brains have processed countless similar scenarios.

The ability to trust one’s intuition becomes particularly important at higher levels of management. Senior executives in corporations and mid-sized businesses often rely on intuition when making strategic or visionary decisions. However, this process is rarely discussed openly. Yet research shows that intuition and emotional intelligence significantly impact an organization's success.

Why Do We Avoid Talking About Intuition in Decision-Making?

A well-known quote, often attributed to Henry Ford, illustrates this point: "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." This is where intuition shines. It allows us to recognize needs that people themselves may not yet be aware of and enables thinking beyond obvious solutions. Ford realized that the real problem wasn’t about faster horses—it was about efficient transportation. This intuitive insight led to a revolutionary innovation: the automobile.

The Role of Intuition in Management

In business leadership, intuition serves several critical functions: ✅ Problem-solving and decision-making ✅ Navigating complexity ✅ Developing innovative ideas ✅ Sensing the right timing ✅ Shaping future visions ✅ Building strong relationships ✅ Fostering synergies ✅ Identifying what truly matters

Intuition isn’t magic—it’s a valuable resource in decision-making. It complements data-driven approaches and is particularly powerful in complex or uncertain environments. By learning to trust our intuition, we gain an additional power source for making smarter, faster decisions.