When someone says, “trust your gut,” what are they really telling you? They’re telling you to trust your feelings, even if the facts say otherwise.
That’s dangerous advice.
I was in a peer group meeting recently where a member asked for input on a decision. He’s in the real estate business—buys, builds, and holds multifamily and retail properties. A few years ago, he lost a retail tenant and replaced it with a laundromat. It worked. Now he has another vacancy and wants to do the same thing again.
Seems logical, right? So I asked a few simple questions:
- Are the demographics the same?
- What’s the population density?
- What does the competition look like?
- Is the median income similar?
Then I asked something different:
“What if the best location for a laundromat isn’t in a building you own?”
His response: “I wouldn’t want to pay someone else rent.”
I said: “Aren’t you already paying yourself rent? Isn’t this just a math problem?”
He paused, and then said: “I get it, but it just feels right.”
That’s the gut talking. And this is where a lot of people go wrong.
His laundromat may succeed, but he’s blending two businesses:
- Real estate
- Laundromat operations
Each requires its own math, its own strategy, its own decision-making framework.
Your gut is not the problem. Misusing it is
Intuition has value, but only after you’ve done the work.
The right sequence is:
- Gather the facts
- Analyze the math
- Pressure test your assumptions
- Then use your gut to make the call
Your gut should help you decide—not replace the decision-making process.
I see leaders rely on “gut feel” all the time:
- Hiring decisions
- Pricing decisions
- Investments
- Strategic direction
Most of the time, it’s not intuition… it’s bias.
The next time you’re making an important decision, ask yourself:
Am I deciding based on feelings…or facts?
Because the best leaders don’t ignore their gut. They earn the right to trust it.
Related: The power of peer