Stop Analyzing Your Gut Feelings: A Counter-intuitive Guide to Better Leadership

When you force people to make decisions with only the rational part of their brain, they almost invariably end up “overthinking.” These rational decisions tend to take longer to make, says Restak, and can often be of lower quality. In contrast, decisions made with the limbic brain, gut decisions, tend to be faster, higher-quality decisions. This is

In contrast, decisions made with the limbic brain, gut decisions, tend to be faster, higher-quality decisions. This is one of the primary reasons why teachers tell students to go with their first instinct when taking a multiple-choice test, to trust their gut. The more time spent thinking about the answer, the bigger the risk that it may be the wro

My intuition isn’t any less fallible than yours. It’s always getting things wrong. I have, however, learned never to be ashamed of it. I don’t disdain my mistakes, I don’t push them aside, because I don’t think that they betray my intellectual inferiority or some cognitive biases hardwired in my brain. On the contrary. Nothing’s more exciting than

Summary.   

From “I like to be efficient” to “I trust my gut” to “I can make a rational decision,” there are a number of deeply ingrained — and counterproductive — myths we tell ourselves about how we make decisions. Underlying these myths are three common and popular ideas that don’t serve us well: First, as busy people, we d

The key is learning to distinguish between these genuine intuitive leaps and emotional reactions based on past conditioning or current fears.