Running a small business in today’s world is more challenging than ever. Markets shift quickly, competition is relentless, and data seems to come from every direction. Yet, if you ask some of the world’s top CEOs what gives them an edge, many will tell you: intuition. Here’s what small-town business owners can learn from how these leaders hone—and harness—their gut instincts.

What Is Intuition—Really?

Intuition isn’t about making impulsive or emotional decisions. It’s a process—an internal, often subconscious way of using your own experiences and knowledge to find direction when things aren’t clear. That “gut feeling” you’ve had at critical moments? For great leaders, it’s the result of years spent noticing patterns, reflecting on what works, and calibrating their judgment for the situations that matter most.

Experience Matters (But Only If You Analyze It)

• Build Your Library: Every challenge you recover from—whether it’s a tough season, a new hire that didn’t work out, or a marketing campaign that soared—adds to your internal playbook.
• Review Your Decisions: Successful owners of small businesses don’t just move on from decisions. They reflect: What was I feeling at the time? What signals did I notice? What would I do differently? This is how experience becomes wisdom, not just history.

Don’t Ignore the Data—But Know Its Limits

• Balance Facts and Feelings: Data can take you far—sometimes up to 85% of a decision. But in ambiguous situations, facts might not give you the full picture. That’s when intuition steps in.
• Practice Listening Inward: In an age of constant noise—social media, emails, and reports—real insight often whispers. Take time to unplug, walk, or simply reflect in quiet moments. Intuition grows stronger in stillness.

How to Strengthen Your Intuition

Here are some practical strategies any small business owner can start today:

• The Calm Test: When you feel a strong urge to act, pause and ask, “Would I make this same decision if I felt completely calm?” This helps separate true intuition from emotional reactions.
• Reflect on Big—and Small—Choices: After big decisions, jot down what your instincts told you and why. Check back months later: How did things turn out? This builds your personal “signal library.”
• Name Your Decision Phase: Are you gathering info, sitting with uncertainty, or feeling clarity? Naming where you are reduces impulsive moves.
• Lean on Trusted Advisors: Seek out peers who challenge your assumptions. Sometimes, just describing your feelings helps clarify if it’s real intuition or something else.
• Practice on Daily Choices: Use your gut on small decisions and see how often it’s accurate—this gives you confidence for bigger calls.

Action Is Key

Intuition matters only if you act on it, balancing confidence with humility. The world’s top leaders aren’t just feeling—they’re doing. Their decisive moves, made with thoughtful intuition, shape the outcomes they want, and every action helps refine their gut feelings for next time.

For the Small Business Owner

Intuition isn’t magic; it’s the quiet voice built on everything you’ve seen and learned—waiting to help when the numbers can’t speak. Embrace it as a tool, not a shortcut, and let it work alongside your data and hard-earned experience.

In a fast-changing world, your greatest advantage may well be that calm, practiced voice within—the one you’ve been developing all along.

Source: Harvard Business Review article, “How CEOs Hone and Harness Their Intuition.”