Everywhere you look, business advice says the same thing: follow the numbers, track the KPIs, trust the data.

And don’t get me wrong, data is powerful. It shows us patterns, highlights opportunities, and helps us measure growth. But when you only lead with data, you risk ignoring the most powerful decision-making tool you already have — your intuition.

Intuition in business isn’t about abandoning strategy or pretending numbers don’t matter. It’s about making space for the quiet inner knowing that tells you when something feels aligned…or when something feels off.

What Intuition in Business Really Means

When I talk about intuition, I don’t just mean “going with your gut” in a surface-level way. Intuition is deeper than that. It’s noticing what your nervous system is telling you. It’s being able to pause and ask: Does this decision feel expansive and alive, or does it feel heavy and forced?

It’s not about following what everyone else says your business “should” look like. It’s about tuning out the noise long enough to hear what’s true for you.

The biggest misconception I see people have when it comes to intuition in business? That it contradicts strategy. In reality, it’s what makes your strategy sustainable…because it ensures the path you’re building actually feels good to walk.

Why We’ve Been Conditioned to Ignore It

But here’s the thing: our society isn’t exactly set up to honor intuition.

We’re taught to trust logic, facts, and formulas. We’re told that “feelings” don’t belong in business. And for us as women especially, intuition has often been dismissed as “irrational” or “unreliable.”

But ignoring it comes with a cost. It’s what leads so many entrepreneurs to take on projects they regret, follow strategies that don’t fit, or hustle their way into burnout.

I know because I’ve been there. I once ignored my gut and signed a large client because on paper, it looked like a great opportunity. The data all said “yes”…but my intuition said “no.”

A few months later, that client filed for bankruptcy and never paid me. The data didn’t see that coming. But my intuition did.

Intuition + Data: A Partnership, Not a Tradeoff

Honoring your intuition in business isn’t about throwing out spreadsheets or ignoring metrics. Data shows us the external reality; intuition shows us the internal one. Simply put…

• Data tells you what worked.
• Intuition tells you what will work for you.

When you use them together, you’re not just making smart choices, you’re making aligned ones. And aligned decisions are the ones you can actually sustain long-term.

How I Practice Leading with Intuition

Here’s what this looks like in my own business (and what you can borrow for yours):

CEO Days

I block off time to step out of the day-to-day and listen inward. No meetings, no distractions. Just space for vision and creativity.

Nervous system check-ins

Before big decisions, I pause. If my chest feels tight or my stomach knots, that’s data too.

Boundaries and office hours

Protecting my energy means I can show up fully when I am on, instead of running half-empty all the time.

Working with rhythms

I don’t force myself to show up the same way every day. I align my work with my energy, my season, even my cycle.

Reflection and prayer

Journaling, quiet moments, and remaining strong in my faith are ways I strengthen that inner voice so I can actually hear it.

And none of this replaces strategy, it informs it. The systems, structures, and strategies I’ve built hold my business steady. My intuition tells me how to use them.

The Empowered CEO

Bottom line: intuition is not a weakness in business, it’s leadership.

When you honor your gut alongside the data, you stop running someone else’s playbook and start leading your business your way. That’s where sustainable growth and spacious success live.

Your intuition already knows what’s right for you. The real work is giving yourself permission to listen.

Ready to start leading with more alignment (and less second-guessing)? That’s exactly what I help founders do inside my Vision-to-Execution Accelerator and Intensives.