What if the problem you keep trying to solve isn’t the real problem?

When entrepreneurs and leaders hit a recurring challenge, the instinct is usually to reach for another strategy, a new marketing plan, or a spreadsheet. As you know, I take a different approach. Since 2007 I have helped entrepreneurs use what I call “pure intuition,” alongside methods like business constellations, to uncover what may be happening beneath the surface of a business problem.

In this episode of Business Origin Stories, host Amy Schutte talks with me about what intuition actually means in business, and why it’s different from simply following a gut feeling. I explain six ways intuition can show up, and share a practical process for slowing down, asking better questions, noticing what comes up, and translating that into action.

The conversation also explores business constellations, a method I use a lot to examine the dynamics within a company. Rather than focusing only on the visible conflict or challenge, constellation work can surface patterns involving a company’s history, leadership, team dynamics, clients, and other parts of the business system.

Topics covered:

• The difference between a gut reaction and “pure intuition”
• Six different ways intuition can present itself
• How to start experimenting with intuition in business decisions
• What business constellations are, and how I facilitate them
• Why a recurring team or leadership problem may point to something beneath the surface
• Three principles I look for in business systems: inclusion, order, and the balance of giving and taking
• Why I view a business as a living organism rather than a machine
• How leaders can combine rational business thinking with a more intuitive approach

I also share real examples from my work, including a constellation involving conflict in a hospital maternity department, and another involving a business owner struggling to attract customers in his local village.

For entrepreneurs and leaders who have tried the conventional solutions and still feel stuck: what might you be missing because you’re only looking at what’s visible?

You can also listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts