Quick Tip: Follow your Gut in Business, as in Life

How many times have you had a bad feeling about a situation or a person, only to have your concerns confirmed?

Top executives tend to be very decisive, and a lot of that certainty comes from their instincts, not their processes.

You gut instinct isn’t perfect, however. It can steer you away from situations that may not be comfortable for you, but that are necessary for your company’s success.

For example, cross-cultural hiring may take a deliberate effort to ignore some of the warning signals going off in your head.

The rest of the time, learn to trust your gut.

My favorite trick is to act as if I’ve made a decision. Then I wait to see if my body seizes up in alarm. If so, I re-examine the decision and see if my gut is sending me a signal I should listen to.