See how to turn your intuition into influence and express your “sixth sense” in a way that builds trust, builds credibility and moves people to action.
Name the pattern you are recognizing
An instinctive reaction happens because your brain is identifying patterns in the background. The moment you are faced with a decision, your mind compares it to thousands of past experiences and quickly predicts an outcome.
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Ask yourself, “What does this remind me of?” Perhaps the team is underestimating a deadline, as they did on another project. It could be that the market looks similar to the last time you took advantage of an opportunity.
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Ask questions to jog your memory
You may feel resistance to a path or see an opportunity in an idea but be unable to formulate a clear explanation at the time. Give yourself a moment to think and extract more information by asking a clarifying question.
For example: “Before I give my opinion, I have a feeling about the deadline. How do we get to six months?” or “I want to make sure I understand. Can you explain the reasoning behind this plan?”
Often, the explanation will trigger the specific memory or connection your brain was trying to access. Now you have something concrete to refer to instead of a vague objection. You’ve created a curious conversation, rather than making a one-sided statement that something will or won’t work.
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Reserve the right to return to the subject
Intuition is powerful, but it is not infallible. Sometimes it’s worth taking time to fact-check or evaluate your gut reaction and avoid bias.
You might say, “Something here doesn’t feel right, but I need to better process what I’m noticing. I’ll come back to this tomorrow,” or “I want to do some self-reflection to make sure I’m not confusing it with another situation.”
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This gives you space to reflect and revise your assumptions. People tend to listen more when you demonstrate that your contribution is thoughtful rather than impulsive.
Transform the abstract into stories
Quantitative data is often valued above all else. Numbers seem objective, defensible, and rigorous. But not everything can be measured in absolute terms. Qualitative data — the data that emerges from conversations and observations, on which intuition feeds — also matters.
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Studies show that people remember details better when they are presented in story form. So instead of saying “I really believe this product will be a success,” replace that with a concrete example.
Propose a reversible decision
Sometimes it’s too big a leap to expect people to trust their gut without any proof. So, reduce the risk by proposing a small-scale test or pilot project. Your colleagues and superiors are much more likely to accept an idea when the risk is controlled.
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You might say, “My gut says there’s an opportunity in
You’ve spent years accumulating experience and refining your instincts. Now your job is to make this inner intelligence visible and clear to others.
c. 2026 Harvard Business Review Wake-Up Call. Distribuído por New York Times Licensing
