Summary: Leadership is often painted as a game of strategy, data, and grit. But ask the best leaders what guided them at critical crossroads, and the answer is rarely found in a spreadsheet. They’ll say, “I just knew,” or “something told me,” or “it clicked in my gut.” Here is why GLIMMERS are so crucial for leaders.
Dear Dr. Sylvia,
I was thinking back to my childhood and became enticed by how often I took risks based on a “gut feeling.”
Did they always work out? No!
However, there were enough times that led me to a positive next place, when I relied on what I used to call “my magical thinking.”
Now, as the Founder and CEO of a giftware company, I have become more careful, almost shy to trust my inner guidance.
I tell myself that it was a child’s game, not for a business leader.
Therefore, I will spend hours looking at the P&L and then play it safe.
After all, I have employees to consider as well as the venture capitalists who are behind my endeavor.
Yet, I want the excitement back.
However, I am cautious that perhaps what worked when I chose which fraternity to join in college would not be the best way to decide as an adult.
Therefore, I tell myself, it seems irresponsible to rely on things that have no basis in “reality” as a business leader.
I’d appreciate your thoughts.
Signed,
Loves Magic
Glimmers Light the Way to Success
Dear Loves Magic,
You are referring to an internal process that persists even after you “grow up.”
Those are glimmers. Not thunderbolts of lightning that shake the ground, but subtle sparks that, if noticed, illuminate the way forward.
It’s always the right time to reclaim those sparks.
Learn, or rather, relearn, to see, trust, and act on the glimmers that emerge from your lived experience, your emotional wisdom, and your embodied instincts.
When Leaders Tap Into the Head-Heart-Gut Alignment, They Stop Reacting and Start Creating
They move from surviving to shaping, from managing chaos to leading with clarity.
There are so many pioneers in science, history, and business who transformed a faint flicker of intuition into world-changing action.
For example, Einstein was a brilliant scientist. Yet, he was a “glimmer” aficionado. He took long walks and spent time looking at clouds for inspiration.
If Einstein Could Check With His Head, Heart, and Gut, So Can You
Take the time now to bring back what you call “magical thinking.”
Learn how to notice the glimmers in your own life, the ones that keep showing up until you finally pay attention.
Most of all, you’ll discover that the path to leadership brilliance isn’t about louder voices or faster answers. It’s about listening differently.
Because in the end, it’s not the noise that changes the future. It’s the glimmers.
To your success,
Sylvia Lafair
PS: My new book, “GLIMMERS: How Head, Heart, and Gut Illuminate the Leader’s Path,” will be available soon. Send an email to sylvia@ceoptions.com for a free copy.
