Your gut is often wrong. But it’s also often right. Unfortunately, being right isn’t good enough.
I find my gut is correct more often than not. And yet, if I fail to convince others, the signal is wasted.
“Something about this project feels off.”
It’s OK to trust your gut in these situations. The problem is, other people — your team, your stakeholders, your boss — won’t necessarily understand. They don’t feel what you feel.
That’s on you. Embracing your feeling is a good first step. The second one is even more important: communicate why you feel a particular way. Only when others understand your why can they be as motivated as you are.
“I feel anxious about this deadline, let’s face the possibility that we may not ship in time.”
The greatest leaders will trust their gut. And also get others feeling the same way.