Leading From the Inside Out: Building Strong Leadership Intuition

I used to miss it entirely—those quiet cues, that gut feeling I couldn’t name or even feel. But over time, I’ve learned to listen. And now, I can’t unhear it. It’s something I wish more leaders talked about—because once it's noticed, it changes everything.

John C. Maxwell calls this the Law of Intuition: the idea that “leaders evaluate everything with a leadership bias.” But what that really means—at least in my experience—is this:

Good leaders listen to what’s being said. Great leaders listen for what’s missing.

And that kind of listening? That kind of awareness? It doesn’t come from a textbook. It comes from attention. From pattern recognition. From being willing to lead with presence, not just with plans.

Not a Gift, but a Muscle

When I first started hearing people talk about “intuition,” I thought it was something you either had or didn’t—like a sixth sense or gut-level genius.

But it’s not. It’s more like a muscle. One that you don’t even know exists until life gives you enough reps to feel the tension, work through the strain, and build something stronger. And like any muscle, it requires:

• Discovery — learning to recognize when it’s speaking.

• Conditioning — practicing how to pay attention.

• Fuel — staying grounded in truth and self-awareness.

• Rest and repair — noticing when intuition is off or clouded by emotion.

• Feedback — surrounding yourself with voices that help refine what’s felt but not yet clear.

Over time, that quiet nudge becomes something steady. Not perfect. Not infallible. But trustworthy.

What Intuition Actually Looks Like in Leadership

Let’s take it out of the abstract.

• It’s the discomfort that says, “We’re moving too fast on this decision. Something feels off.”

• It’s the sense that a team member is pulling back—without them ever saying a word.

• It’s the gut-level recognition that this isn’t a performance issue; it’s a trust issue.

• It’s feeling the shift in energy before the meeting even starts.

It’s not always dramatic. In fact, it rarely is. But over time, leaders who hone this capacity begin to lead with a clarity that others can feel—even if they can’t name it.

The Leadership Radar: A Personal Intuition Check-In

To support this work, we created a reflection tool called the Leadership Radar. It’s a tool with 10 self-reflection areas—things like sensing emotional undercurrents, recognizing timing, noticing when something’s “off,” or catching team dynamics before they derail.

Each section includes reflection questions and a 1–10 scale to help track where your attention might be strong, and where it might need some love.

This isn’t a test. It’s just a quiet way to ask yourself:
What am I noticing? And how can I lead with more presence?

You can download the Leadership Radar tool here.

Intuition isn’t mystical. It’s mindful.

The longer I lead, the more I’ve come to believe that intuition isn’t a soft skill. It’s a survival skill.

It’s the difference between reacting and responding.
Between pushing through and pausing.
Between leading from control and leading from connection.

Developing this kind of awareness doesn’t happen by accident. And it doesn’t come all at once. But it does come—through presence, practice, and reflection.