Susie Johns

The trouble with intuition is; it can only be proved retrospectively.

Consequently, in the business world, it’s mistrusted in favour of a more rational approach that places its faith in statistics, market research and all manner of appropriate data.

However, data too is only as good as the premise upon which it is based and one data source can contradict the findings of another.

The best managers evaluate all the rational information available to them then add a sprinkling of intuition to bring successful results.  In general terms, women tend to be focused on their emotions and their physical body looking after and protecting their families.

Traditionally they were judged to be less objective and logical and are often perceived as lacking emotional control and intellectual rigour. Either way, they lost their power.

Men have tended, traditionally, to be more in their heads and bodies; working hard, playing hard, steering clear of emotions and gut feelings. Men – or women emulating men’s behaviour – can arrive at middle-age, ‘successful’ with their second homes, cars, all the material requirements more than fulfilled yet emotionally burned out and spiritually empty. These men and women are both half-fulfilled.

So for both sexes it’s not just a case of employing intuition to make the right business decisions but using it to keep us true to ourselves in every area of life because they are indivisible.

Intuition is our core spirit, our gut feeling.

We all basically inhabit four areas of life:

The Physical World: This includes our health, sexuality, how we earn a living and our attitude to the material world.

The Emotional World:  How we respond emotionally to situations and what our emotional needs are … our feelings

The Thinking World: How we understand and mentally translate our life; the way we communicate to others and ourselves.

The Spiritual World: Our belief and trust in ourselves and what we believe we can achieve in life.

We should flow through all these areas comfortably with each one having equal status and respect. The problem is that we can live life without this balance and harmony and yet we can’t be successful and fulfilled if we do not achieve it. As a woman, once we recognise this we can move forward beyond our blocks, easily.

Men and women have to learn to respect each other’s strengths and be sensitive to their vulnerabilities, not always easy in the world of office politics.

But, we are human beings; human means flawed. Our flaws show our compassion and our tenderness. It’s when we see the great sportsmen or top businessman shed a tear, that we respect them more through displaying their humanity and humility. So we, in our world, should embrace our vulnerability as being an important factor of who we are.

So how do we as women celebrate our intuition whilst developing our objective intellect and being clear about our physical boundaries?

IQ is Mental Intelligence, it shows our ability to understand, analyse and communicate. For example, I am working as a financial executive who understands the nature of the work I do and I’m good at it.

EQ is Emotional Intelligence. We ask ourselves; am I happy or unhappy in this role?

SQ is Spiritual Intelligence. We ask ourselves Why. You will note that spiritual intelligence doesn’t provide a neat answer. It encourages us to ask more questions, such as; do I believe in what I’m doing? SQ is experiential. It requires us to be more in the moment and to trust our intuition.

Women are high on intuition but need to own it in the workplace by using it openly. So what exactly is it; how do we celebrate it and how do we demonstrate that it is valuable?

A mother is naturally Physically engaged with her baby, Emotionally connected, Spiritually intuitively reading all the signals emanating from the baby and Mentally analysing the constant stream of information – all at the same time. There is a feeling of fulfilment as she does so. Women need to use this principle in the workplace.

In writing this article, I was asked to explain what gut feelings are and how to use them in business.

However, the more I think about it, the more I see that women are brilliant at gut feelings. Their weakness seem to be harnessing their emotional responses, remaining objective, without losing trust in their intuition.

Intuition is our gut feeling that arises suddenly before we get emotionally or mentally engaged and yet incorporates our mind and feelings. If our head and heart agree, we are in harmony with the decisions we make. Trust the gut feelings we have about when to contact someone or not. If someone is telling you something and you feel there’s a hidden agenda, trust your instincts.

As a mother, you’re purely instinctive for the survival of your baby; if you don’t have children, you are instinctive in pursuit of self-preservation. We are all intuitive to some degree so what we need to do is to refine it and wear our intuition as a badge of honour.

Some women tend to feel their way through situations but are prone to crying when they get upset. However, behind the tears is often anger.

We need to deal with situations before they get to this level. Women need to own that they are as logical as they are intuitive. If a child is difficult, you instinctively calm your own emotions in order to handle the situation. Learn to handle business in the same way.

Trust your gut feelings and develop them.

Look at where you get things right in your wider life and use that in business. Feed your confidence and starve your fears. Bring balance into your life and develop your objectivity. See your emotions as a healthy part of you. Learn from your mistakes with compassion and never be defensive. We are human, and we’ll continue to make mistakes the trick is not to repeat them.

Don’t wait for opportunities, create them.

Susie Johns is an internationally acclaimed Psychic, Intuitive Counsellor, and Life Strategist; Her classes, workshops, articles, books, and private sessions empower people everywhere through self-awareness. Her goal is to help you gain insight into the bigger picture of your life so that you can face your demons, develop a plan of action, and overcome negative patterns to achieve true fulfilment.