Using your Intuition to Make Better Business Decisions

When Your Gut Tells You What You Don’t Want to Hear

Every owner I’ve ever coached has had a moment like this:

You’ve got a team member who’s “fine,” but something about them feels off.

Or you’re about to take on a project that looks great on paper, yet there’s a quiet tug in your stomach that says, “Don’t do it.”

You already know what’s right.

You just don’t like what it means.

I’ve been there myself.

Over the years, the biggest mistakes I’ve made in business didn’t come from trusting my gut.

They came from ignoring it.

And usually, I ignored it because the truth was inconvenient.

Firing someone, walking away from revenue, or admitting that a partnership isn’t working are uncomfortable decisions.

It’s easier to tell yourself, “Let’s get more data,” or “Maybe it’ll sort itself out.”

But deep down, you know.

Intuition Isn’t Woo-Woo. It’s Experience

People talk about intuition as if it’s magic. It’s not.

It’s experience.

Cognitive science calls it subconscious Bayesian reasoning.

In plain English, your brain is constantly updating its internal database — noticing patterns and comparing them to what’s happened before.

After years of running a business, you’ve built up a massive database of patterns:

• clients who turned out to be trouble,
• employees who never quite fit,
• deals that started shiny and ended messy.

When something new feels familiar, your subconscious lights up before your logical mind can catch up.

That’s your “gut feeling.”

It’s not anti-logic. It’s fast logic — trained by repetition and hard-won lessons.

Why Owners Ignore Their Gut

The short answer? Fear.

When your gut speaks, it doesn’t usually whisper, “Relax, you’re fine.”

It says, “Something needs to change.”

That’s uncomfortable.

Acting on intuition often means doing hard things.

Ending a partnership, letting someone go, walking away from an opportunity, or facing a truth you’ve been avoiding.

So, we do what smart people often do: we overthink.

We analyze, gather data, call more meetings, and look for more information.

Anything to delay the emotional work of doing what we already know is right.

The Real Cost of Avoidance

When you override intuition, you buy short-term comfort at a long-term cost.

I’ve seen owners hold on to the wrong employee for six extra months because “they’re not that bad.”

Or double down on a losing project because “we’ve already invested so much.”

Every time, their gut was right early. But action came late.

Your internal GPS didn’t fail. You just didn’t like the recalculated route.

And as every driver knows, the longer you delay the turn, the longer the detour.

How to Listen to Your Gut Responsibly

Intuition on its own can be impulsive.

Logic on its own can be paralyzing.

You need both.

Here’s how to find that balance:

1. Name the fear. Ask, “If my gut is right, what am I afraid will happen?” Naming it takes the power out of it and reveals what you’re really protecting.
2. Check your calibration. Your gut earns trust through experience. If you’re in your lane — hiring, sales, leadership — it’s usually well-tuned. If you’re in new territory, gather data first.
3. Test with a small action. You don’t have to make a dramatic move. Have a conversation. Ask a hard question. Take one step. See what happens.
4. Review and reinforce. Notice when your intuition was right. Keep a mental log. Over time, that feedback loop makes you a better decision-maker.

Courage: The Missing Ingredient

Data helps you know what’s true.

Intuition helps you know what’s right.

Neither matters if you don’t act.

The hardest part of leadership isn’t knowing what to do. It’s having the courage to do it.

Your gut doesn’t predict the future.

It simply reminds you of something you already know and don’t want to admit.

Acting on it may hurt in the short term, but it always saves you from bigger pain later.

So the next time you get that quiet nudge, don’t smother it with logic.

Pause.

Breathe.

And ask yourself:

“What truth am I avoiding?”

Because in business (and life) that’s usually where the real work begins.

If you’re facing one of those uncomfortable decisions and your gut’s been trying to tell you something, don’t ignore it.

A short conversation might help you see things more clearly. Book a free 15-minute call with me.