In times of great change, a leader does not look solely at a geographical map when making decisions, but lives in the landscape of a business environment and he learns experientially. From time to time it is not clear to him what he feels and he cannot express it in words, but that “something in the air” tells him that it is time for investments or for withdrawal.

Traditional schools of management teach him to be rational when making decisions and to do it on the basis of analyzes and reports. Listening to the inner voice is something unknown and intangible in making decisions. On the other hand, modern times bring a high degree of uncertainty, ambiguity and fog in a business environment. A lot of information is available outside of Excel. The times we live in require leaders to tolerate the anxiety of information overload. It is not easy for him to propose a long-term business plan, but he can feel the atmosphere in a meeting. He doesn’t have an immediate explanation of what’s happening but he lets himself experience it. To feel the hostility in the air at a board meeting or to sense a hint of business opportunity in complex global developments.

A few days ago I spoke with the owner of a manufacturing company that has been successfully operating in the region for several decades. I was interested in how he makes decisions in the current period of great uncertainty. His answer was to avoid making decisions based only on the “mantras” of economic analysis and exact data. Instead of passive learning, the company owner actively meets people, talks with them and listens. He allows to experience the contact with people. He looks at the bigger picture of the landscape. Then he distances himself and waits in peace for his decision to mature. He is known for sensing the right moment for investment and innovation. As a sommelier in the business, he feels the good buzz of wine.

By being in uncertainty and tolerating it, understanding and decision are easily crystallized. The leader becomes more aware of himself, the organization that he manages and the environment. Cultivated intuition of a leader is not  a sheer instinct, but is based on a commitment to experiential learning whose effects have a deeper impact on an organization.

Published in Nedeljnik, November 2023.