nwv brief #32: instinct & experience

dear founder,

there’s a moment—quiet, electric—when your gut says one thing, & your most trusted operator says another.

one tells you: "trust the data, the precedent, the playbook."
the other whispers: "something’s off. something’s emerging. lean in."

welcome to the crossroads of instinct & experience.
it’s not a detour—it’s the work.

the signal in the tension

that friction you feel? it’s not a flaw in your leadership. it’s the pulse of it.
because decisions made at this intersection shape more than outcomes—they shape you.

so instead of defaulting to instinct or delegating to experience, ask yourself:
what’s the deeper pattern here?
what future am i anchoring to with this choice?

pressure-test the polarity

your gut isn’t anti-data. & your team’s expertise isn’t anti-evolution.

so don’t pit them against each other. put them in dialogue.

ask:
→ what must be true for their idea to be the best path forward?
→ what early signals would validate your instinct before the full picture emerges?

invite others in—not to dilute, but to sharpen. clarity loves a chorus of perspectives.

clarity > certainty

we don't always get to be right. but we do get to be clear.
& clarity isn’t knowing the answer—it’s knowing why you’re choosing the one you are.

leadership isn’t about proving your instinct or your operator right.
it’s about owning your choice, learning from it, & staying open to the pivot.

if you’re wrong—repair quickly.
if you’re right—reflect deeply.
that’s how instinct evolves into wisdom.
not because you followed a formula—but because you followed it through.

this week’s reflection
what’s a decision you’re facing where your gut & your guidance diverge?
what might happen if you treated that tension not as a conflict to resolve—but as a question to hold?

with purpose, vision, & appreciation,

Brooke