Leading Through Uncertainty: How Umpqua Bank Emerged from the Great Recession Better and Stronger than Ever

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Exercise Your Intuition

Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.

—Jonas Salk

Intuition is often associated with expressions like “good guess,” “go with your instincts,” and “watch for signals,” to name a few. I suppose this is because the definition of intuition is “to acquire knowledge without inference or rational thought”—in other words, to think without thinking. Some people shy away from their intuition, a big mistake in any organization. Intuition isn't magic, and it's not irrational. Intuition is a powerful, heightened state of awareness that can enable employees to discover opportunities to exceed their customers' expectations—creating experiences that won't soon be forgotten. It's up to leaders to make it safe for ...