By Cheryl Brewster

Change burns within us and around us whether we like it or not.  Given the course of world events and economic impacts on global and local levels, remaining positive and optimistic can be challenging.

We experience it when unexpected change happens to us personally, whether at home or at work.  How we manage that change determines the quality of our experience and resulting choices.  And yet, how many times has each of us, been reluctant to really pay attention to those oh so subtle promptings that prod us at the back of our minds when change is required? We’ve all felt them, those subtle awarenesses of our feelings, body-talk, gut reactions. Plain and simple, these are “knowings” that are not born out of rational thinking or logical, linear thought. Now more than ever, awareness of the role of our intuitive voice to predict and manage that change is vital.  Management guru Tom Peters so aptly put it, “The crazier the times are, the more important it is for leaders to develop and to trust their intuition.”

Of significant interest is that the source of the greatest financial support for the study of intuition has come from the business world.  Henry Reed, a leading expert in intuition, noted, corporate leaders don’t want to make decisions trusting their intuition or a matter of luck – they want to know what they are doing.  Because change is the only constant, planning and decision-making become a structural imperative. And although rational analysis is an integral component in effective decision making, it also has its limitations – by the time all the pertinent facts are analyzed, the situation has changed and the facts with it.  As one businessperson said, “how do you keep your eye on the ball when you can’t see it?”

Reed goes on to tell the story of how a few years back, a representative from the International Institute of Management, in Geneva, Switzerland, presented the results of that prestigious think tank’s analysis of the role of intuition in business. Through interviews and other methods, they concluded that intuition had three major roles in managing business change. The first is to create a vision. The second is to determine a starting point to achieve that vision. The third is to make decisions at critical points along the way.

In my own experience, applying intuition to creating a clear and authentic vision is best supported by what I call the four “I’s” of intuition: integrity, intention, imagination and inspiration.

Integrity ensures that vision is created from a truthful place; a realistic and accurate assessment of the situation as it currently stands, what we’ll need to do to create the results we want, and how to cooperate and produce effectively within the market place to achieve it. As Norman Vincent Peale, master of the Power of Positive Thinking observed “the key to success is to find a need and fill it.” 

With intention, we identify not only our goals but also importantly, what we want our experience to be “while” we accomplish them.  This is a key element to intuitive mastery in business because it ensures accurate discernment. For example, Steven Covey described in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, how there’s no ruder surprise in climbing the ladder of business success, to reach the top rung only to find out your ladder is leaning against the wrong wall. Intention keeps us in the place of conscious choice.

Imagination ensures connection to the world of possibilities. This is the place of “what-if creative thinking,” where new solutions lie. When we think of the enormity of change our world is facing, the ability to remain grounded, while at the same time open to new ideas and knowledge, is paramount. As Einstein noted “imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Inspiration feeds vision. It is the fuel that launches the rocket.  It gets in the trenches with us when the difficult work needs to be done and sheer grit, determination and discipline are required to move forward. Inspiration is what helps us blast through the walls of our comfort zone, propelling us into our highest visions of ourselves with boldness and genius.

Using these concepts can make it easier to embrace the changes life brings; to translate them into new successes and to importantly enjoy the intuitive process they invite.

Cheryl Brewster is an Intuitive Development Specialist and professional speaker. She consults with and presents workshops and keynotes to individuals and corporations on the subject of intuitive development and communication for personal and professional growth and success.