If your gut says so, trust it.

Second guess yourself often?

Ladies, I’m talking to you, especially my sisters–the high performing ones who are mid-to-late career yet still stuck in the middle of the leadership pipeline.

You know, it isn’t that we don’t arrive at a decision as quickly as men do. It is that men tend to trust their first mind and then act on that decision. We tend to question our first notion. While some of that is rooted in the fact that we are painfully aware of perceptions of gender differences in the workplace–that we may be judged differently based on our decisions, that we may be scrutinized–our brains are simply wired differently to be more exploratory.

Who can relate?

One is not better than the other…it just is. And since maleness is centered in the workplace–that quick decision, quick action, seemingly risk-taking way that men attack things–is rewarded, applauded.

(I’ve placed links to a couple different articles on the topic of the decision making of men v. women here and in the comments.)

As I sit with a full case-load of clients each day, it is very interesting to see who knows the answer to their own question and then proceeds to ruminate over all the reasons why their answer is probably not the right one, when their very own behavior demonstrates that they know their first mind was the best.

So today, my sister, I’m here to affirm you. Remember your value–your experience, your know how, your ability to innovate–and for once (and perhaps more often moving forward), lean into your first mind.

You’re welcome.