LESSON TWELVE

Learn When to Follow Your Instincts

Sir Michael Rake

Chairman, KPMG International

I THINK ONE THING that is very important about leadership is to learn when to follow your instincts. I think you can end up in too much analysis—too much review, endless data—trying to get to an objective and factual conclusion on every issue you face. Sometimes you just need to follow your instincts, because often they can be absolutely right.

Sometimes my experience has been that, on occasions when I’ve not followed my instincts—when I’ve felt really strongly about something and I’ve delayed—it’s been costly. This can mean instinct around a strategic issue; where you face something that arises because of a change in legislation or regulation or ...

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