The Role of Strategic Intuition In Entrepreneurship

By: Joe J. Wallace - Managing Director, Hadannah Business Solutions

Steven Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer in an interview about creativity, with Wired Magazine, said the following:

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�Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn�t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That�s because they were able to connect experiences they�ve had to synthesize new things.�

There has long been the perception that entrepreneurial success starts with an invention. Entrepreneur wannabes spend hours dreaming of that fleeting moment when a commercially viable invention will pop into their mind. In truth very few successful businesses are founded or sustained by an invention. Microsoft, Google, Apple and IBM are all companies that were founded not from invention but from the innovative practice of strategic intuition. Bill Gates and Paul Allen did not invent anything to start Microsoft. The personal computer revolution was started by putting together existing technologies in a way that had never been done before. By ignoring conventional wisdom, Gates and Allen utilized strategic intuition to create what has become the greatest monopoly in the history of free enterprise.

Intuition exists in three forms. The most widely known type of intuition is referred to as ordinary intuition. Ordinary intuition is a feeling or an instinct that is not particularly rooted in anything tangible. We all have them, and in some cases they seem to be accurate, but businesses are not built on gut feelings. Secondly, expert intuition is a trained response to a specific stimulus, much like a shortstop reacting to catch a line drive in a millisecond. Years of practice precede demonstrations of spectacular reactive skills, especially in sports.

Strategic intuition is not a feeling or a reaction. It is a clear thought that comes together in what is best described as a flash of insight. By living a lifestyle characterized by acute awareness of one�s surroundings and acquiring a broad knowledge of existing solutions, the probability for having these �eureka� moments is greatly improved. The tools of the trade for strategic intuition are recognizing trends, presence of mind, and freeing oneself from attachment to a predetermined conclusion.

Technical people are often referred to as left brained people and creative artists are referred to as right brained people. The left brain has been identified as the center of logic and analytical thought for some time. The right brain to the contrary is the center of intuitive or creative thought. Roger Sperry won a Nobel Prize in 1981 for his work on that subject. Eric Kandel won a Nobel Prize in 2000 for overturning Sperry�s model in favor of a full brain model. Unfortunately, the myth that people are exclusively right brained or left brained is still pervasive in corporate America.

A flash of insight, as experienced in the practice of strategic intuition combines both sides of the brain. A creative flash yields a rational insight. Many entrepreneurs seem to exhibit highly developed talents in both the rational mind and the creative arts. That magical yet natural combination of abilities has been and will continue to be the source for the advancement of mankind for as long as we continue to advance.

Parents and educators teach children from a very young age, �you can achieve anything you want if you believe in yourself, set clear goals, and work hard�. A pragmatic and strategically intuitive alternative has been offered as follows, �You can achieve many things if you prepare for opportunity, recognize it, and take action on it�. Both teachings have merit, but the second is less limiting, more truthful, and is more conducive to launching entrepreneurs into a life of strategically intuitive ventures.

Entrepreneurs may require help in the daunting process of �acting on� opportunities. In greater Evansville, the much-needed assistance is close at hand. GAGE offers valuable resources to entrepreneurs with new and emerging knowledge-based ventures, enabling them to transform flashes of insight into viable business enterprise.

Acknowledgement: I would like to acknowledge and thank Dr. William Duggan, Associate Professor of Management at the Columbia Business School, and author of the book �Strategic Intuition, the Creative Spark in Human Achievement�.

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