When Leaders Can Sense Something’s off Before They Can Prove It

Brittney Simpson
1 day ago
9 min read

Updated: 1 hour ago

You know something's wrong.

You can’t quite explain it. There’s no clear data or obvious evidence, but your gut says something’s wrong.

Maybe an employee is doing their job, but something feels off. Maybe a client relationship looks fine on paper, but it doesn’t feel right. Or maybe you sense a shift in your team’s dynamic, but can’t explain it.

You don’t want to act too quickly, so you decide to wait. You gather more information, hoping things will become clearer. You want proof before taking action.

So you wait.

But while you wait, the problem you noticed months ago can turn into the crisis you’re dealing with now.

From years of working with founders, I’ve seen that your gut is usually right before the data catches up.

The instinct you keep doubting? That sense something isn’t working? The feeling you ignore because you don’t have evidence yet?

It’s real. Ignoring it comes at a cost.

The gap between sensing and proving

Let me tell you what this looks like in practice.

Last year, I worked with a founder whose VP looked great on paper. He met his goals, attended meetings, said the right things, and clients seemed happy.

Still, the founder couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. The VP’s team didn’t seem dysfunctional, but they were less engaged than before. Turnover was a bit higher than in other departments, but not enough to raise alarms. Each issue seemed minor on its own, but together they added up.

Because he couldn’t prove anything was wrong, the founder didn’t act. He thought he was just being paranoid and told himself to trust his team rather than act on a feeling.

Six months later, three people on that VP's team quit. In their exit interviews, they all said the same thing: the VP was a micromanager who took credit for their work and fostered a culture of fear.

The problem had been there all along. The founder sensed it but didn’t trust himself enough to look into it when the signs were still subtle.

By the time he had proof, the damage was already done.

That's the gap: the space between when you sense something and when you can prove it. Most founders make the mistake of waiting for proof when they should act on their gut.

Why don't we trust our gut

If your instincts are so valuable, why do you ignore them?

It’s because you’ve been taught not to trust your instincts.

You’ve heard that good leaders rely on data, stay objective, and make evidence-based decisions. You’re told feelings are unreliable, and choices should be rational.

In many cases, that’s true. You shouldn’t make big business decisions based only on emotion or let your mood drive your strategy.

But somewherBut over time, this turned into the idea that your instincts don’t matter, that pattern recognition isn’t important, and if you can’t measure it, it isn’t real. true.

Your gut isn’t magic or some mystical intuition. It’s your brain picking up on thousands of small signals you haven’t noticed yet.

When you sense something is off with an employee, you notice changes in their behavior, energy, or communication. You just haven’t put all the pieces together yet.

If you sense a client relationship is going downhill, you’re picking up on small changes in their responses, tone, and engagement. The signs are there, even if you can’t explain them yet.

Your instinct is an early warning system. The proof usually comes later.

If you wait for proof before listening to your gut, you may miss the chance to fix the problem while it’s still small.

The cost of waiting for proof

Here’s what can happen if you ignore your gut and wait for solid evidence:

Small problems can turn into big ones. The employee who seemed disengaged might start undermining the team. The process that felt slow could lead to costly delays. The client who seemed unhappy might leave, forcing you to scramble for new business.

You lose valuable time. Every week you wait for answers is a week you could have spent solving the problem. By the time you have proof, you’re already behind.

Your team may lose trust in you. They often notice the same issues you do. If you ignore clear problems just because you don’t have data, they might question whether you’re really paying attention.

You start to second-guess yourself more. Each time you ignore your instinct and later realize you were right, your confidence takes a hit. Next time, you might wait even longer, thinking you’re being careful and responsible.

But they're not. They're just avoiding the discomfort of acting on incomplete information.

What trusting your gut actually means.

Let's be clear: trusting your gut doesn't mean making reckless decisions based on hunches.

It doesn't mean firing someone because you had a bad feeling on Tuesday. It doesn't mean blowing up a process because something felt off in a meeting. It doesn't mean acting impulsively without thinking.

Trusting your gut means taking your instincts seriously and looking into them.

When you sense something is wrong, it’s not a sign to make a big decision right away. It’s a sign to pay closer attention.

Here's what that looks like:

You sense something's off with an employee. You don't immediately put them on a performance plan. But you do schedule a one-on-one to dig deeper. You do start paying more attention to their work and their interactions with the team. You do ask questions.

You sense a process isn't working. You don't blow it up. But you do gather data. You do ask the people using it what they're experiencing. You do test whether your instinct is right.

You sense a client is unhappy. You don't panic. But you do reach out. You do ask direct questions about how things are going. You do create space for them to voice concerns.

Trusting your gut means using your instinct as a starting point to investigate, not as the final answer.

It means closing the gap between sensing and proving by actively seeking evidence rather than waiting for it.

This is where it gets tricky.

Not every gut feeling is accurate. Sometimes you're reacting to bias, not pattern recognition. Sometimes you're projecting your own anxiety onto a situation that's actually fine.

So how do you tell the difference between a legitimate instinct and an unfounded assumption?

Here's what I tell founders:

Instinct is specific. It's not "I don't like this person." It's "something about how they interact with their team feels off." It's not "this won't work." It's "this approach doesn't align with how our clients actually make decisions."

Assumptions are vague. They're broad, emotional reactions without any anchor to reality. "This feels wrong" without any sense of what specifically feels wrong is probably not instinct. It's anxiety.

Instinct can be tested. You can investigate it and gather information that confirms or disproves it. "I think this employee is struggling" can be tested by having a conversation, looking at their output, or talking to colleagues.

Assumptions resist testing. They're conclusions you've already drawn, and you're just looking for evidence to support them. You're not investigating, you're confirming.

Instinct gets clearer with attention. When you pay attention to a gut feeling, more details emerge. You start noticing patterns, and the picture comes into focus.

Assumptions stay static. They don't evolve because they're not based on observation, but on fear, bias, or past experience that may not be relevant.

If your gut is telling you something, test it. Don’t ignore it, but don’t trust it without checking either.

Look into it. Ask questions. Pay attention. Then make your decision.

Real examples of gut instinct in action

Let me give you some examples of what trusting your gut actually looks like in leadership.

Example one: The quiet high performer

A founder once told me she felt her top account manager was about to quit. There was nothing specific—his work was still strong—but something about his energy had changed.

Instead of ignoringihe feelingt or waiting for a resignation letter, the founderinvited him for coffee. "I've noticed you seem less engaged lately. Is everything okay? Is there something I should know about"?"

It turned out the account manager had been interviewing elsewhere. He felt he’d hit a ceiling and didn’t see room to grow.

The founder didn’t have proof, but she trusted her instinct enough to ask. Because she asked early, she had time to create a growth plan that kept him on the team.

If she had waited for proof, it would have come as a resignation letter.

Example two: The toxic dynamic

Another founder sensed tension between two department heads. There was nothing obvious—meetings were professional—but there was a sense of defensiveness and subtle undermining. of waiting for it to blow up, he addressed it directly. "I'm sensing some friction between you two. What's going on?"

There was a territorial dispute over a project that neither wanted to mention because it seemed petty. But it was affecting their teams and causing inefficiency.

One conversation. Problem solved.

But this only happened because the founder trusted his gut and spoke up, instead of pretending nothing was wrong.

Example three: The client relationship

A founder had a long-term client who seemed fine on the surface. Invoices were paid, and projects moved forward, but the client’s responsiveness had dropped, and meetings felt routine. Her gut said something was wrong, so she called the client directly. "I've noticed we're not connecting the way we used to. Is everything okay on your end? Are we still delivering what you need?"

The client admitted they were frustrated with the scope of the last project. It hadn't been addressed because it wasn't "worth bringing up." But it was eroding trust.

One honest conversation. Relationship saved.

She didn’t wait for the client to leave. She acted on her instinct that something had changed.

That’s what trusting your gut looks like—not reckless action, but having honest conversations sooner.

When to act on your gut immediately

Most of the time, trusting your gut means investigating.

But sometimes, your instinct tells you something urgent that needs immediate action, not just attention.

Safety issues. If your gut tells you someone is at risk physically, emotionally, or psychologically, don't wait. Address it now.

Integrity violations. If you suspect someone is lying, stealing, or violating ethical standards, investigate immediately. These problems grow quickly.

Critical hiring decisions. If something feels off about a candidate, trust it. The cost of a bad hire is too high to ignore red flags just because you can't explain them yet.

Major financial commitments. If your gut says a deal doesn't make sense, pause. Don't sign contracts when your instinct tells you to walk away.

In these situations, the risk of being wrong is much lower than the risk of ignoring your instinct. You can apologize for being too cautious, but you can’t undo a bad hire, a signed contract, or damage from ignored safety issues.

How to get better at trusting your gut

Your instincts get sharper with practice. Here's how to develop them:

Pay attention to your body. Your gut isn't just a metaphor. Physical sensations like tension, unease, or a sinking feeling are often your first signal that something's wrong. Don't dismiss them.

Track your instincts. When you sense something, write it down and track whether you were right. Over time, you'll see patterns in when your instincts are accurate and when they're not.

Act on small things first. You don't have to bet the company on your gut. Start with low-stakes decisions. Have the awkward conversation. Ask the clarifying question. Test your instinct on things that won't cause major damage if you're wrong.

Reflect on when you ignored your gut and regretted it. Most founders have these stories: the hire they knew was wrong but made anyway, the client they should have fired months earlier. Learn from those.

Distinguish between fear and instinct. Fear makes you want to avoid or escape, while instinct makes you want to pay attention and investigate. They feel different if you notice. The more you practice trusting your gut on small things, the better you’ll get at knowing when to trust it on bigger things.

What your team needs from you

Most founders don't realize their team is often waiting for them to trust their gut.

They can see the problems you're sensing. They're experiencing the dysfunction, the tension, the inefficiency. And they're watching to see if you're going to address it.

When you ignore obvious problems because you lack "proof," you're not protecting anyone. You're teaching your team that you won't deal with hard things.

When you act on your instincts and name what everyone can feel but no one is saying, you create psychological safety. You show your team that reality matters more than appearances.

That doesn't mean you act recklessly. It means you act honestly.

You say, "I'm sensing some tension here. Let's talk about it."

You say, "Something feels off about this approach. Help me understand what I'm missing."

You say, "I don't have proof, but my gut is telling me we need to look closer at this."

Your team doesn't need you to have all the answers. They need you to be willing to ask questions when something doesn't feel right.

That's what leadership looks like.

The permission you're looking for

If you're reading this, you already know what your gut is telling you.

You're just looking for permission to trust it.

So here it is: trust it.

Not blindly. Not recklessly. But seriously.

Take your instincts seriously enough to investigate them, ask questions, pay closer attention, and have the conversation you've been avoiding.

You don't need ironclad proof before you act. You just need enough signal to look closer.

Nine times out of ten, when you look closer, you'll find your gut was right all along.

The problem wasn't that your instinct was wrong. The problem was that you waited too long to trust it.

Stop waiting for permission. Stop waiting for proof. Stop waiting for the situation to become undeniable before you address it.

Act on what you're sensing now, while it's still small enough to fix.

That's not reckless leadership. That's responsible leadership.

Your gut is telling you something. Listen to it.

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