A leader recently told me, “I knew within five minutes that this person was right for the role.”
There was confidence in the way he said it. He did not need more interviews, more information or more time. He simply knew. When I asked what had created that certainty, he thought for a moment and answered, “It was just a feeling.”
We often call that feeling intuition and sometimes it is. Years of experience can help us notice details that our conscious mind has not yet fully processed. We may sense that something is right or that something is wrong before we can clearly explain why.
But not every strong feeling is intuition. Sometimes, it is familiarity.
Our nervous system is constantly recognizing patterns. We respond quickly to people who remind us of someone we once trusted, respected or felt safe with.
- A candidate may communicate like a former colleague who performed exceptionally well.
- A potential business partner may have the same confidence and warmth as someone who supported us in the past.
- An idea may immediately feel promising because it resembles a strategy that once brought excellent results.
The opposite can happen too.
The past is useful, but it is not the present
However, experience can become limiting. Circumstances are rarely identical. The people involved are different. The organization may be at another stage.
Most importantly, we have changed.
Perhaps we now have stronger boundaries, better communication skills or more experience than we had when the original situation occurred. A choice that was unwise couple months or even couple of days ago may not carry the same risk today.
Let intuition and reason work together
Strong leadership does not mean dismissing intuition and relying only on data.
Good judgment comes from combining different ways. We can notice what our body and intuition are telling us while also looking at facts and context.
When possible, leaving a decision overnight can create useful distance. Taking time is not always a sign of uncertainty, sometimes it is a sign of maturity.
Strong leaders do not ignore their first impressions. They simply remain curious about where those impressions came from.
They ask:
- Am I seeing this person or situation for what it is? or
- Am I looking at it through the filter of what feels familiar?
