Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.
Note: 1284 words – Completed in 1 h 20 minutes (brainstorming + typing) – unedited version
Human lives are merely the product of the innumerable decisions we make. These decisions may be made by the individual, or in some cases, by others on their behalf. While the individual-level decisions mostly only affect the people in a person’s life, it is the decisions made by leaders that ultimately determine the destiny of entire communities, societies, countries, and even all of humanity. In this essay, we shall examine why and how visionary decision-making occurs when intuition and logic are combined.
The first question that arises is what is it that drives the decision-making of these visionary leaders? Do they simply come up with ideas on the spot and effortlessly implement them? The answer is more complex. Ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle emphasized the importance of reason and logic in every decision a human makes in his life. They rightly argued that the best rulers or leaders are ‘philosopher kings’, who are able to make decisions with careful contemplation of all the possibilities, implications, and challenges that could come up. These leaders do not let their passions and emotions overwhelm their decision-makin abilities. Rather, they are second-order, even third-order thinkers who think multiple steps ahead. They choose a stance and stick to it.
However, is logic or reason always enough for this visionary decision-making? In isolation, no. Countless great leaders throughout history have made decisions that have defied conventional logic. To the outside observer, these decisions have seemed absurd, uncalculated, and reckless. And yet, they have proved to be correct in hindsight. When the wise Chanakya chose to train a young boy named Chandragupta Maurya as his disciple to overthrow the king Dhana Nanda, everyone underestimated the young boy. And yet, it was he who killed Dhana Nanda and established the largest empire in Indian History, the Mauryan Empire. When Gandhiji called off the Non-Cooperation Movement after the Chauri-Chaura violence incident, all of India was stunned. However, it proved to be the correct decision, as a violent mass movement would have spiralled out of control and led to countless losses of innocent lives.
What is the magic ingredient these leaders had then? It was intuition. Logic stated that a young boy could never overthrow a young king, yet Chanakya placed his faith in him because he saw a spark of potential in young Chandragupta. Logic stated that a mass movement at its peak should be continued and taken advantage of to drive out the British. Yet, Gandhi knew that once the Indians resorted to violence, they will lose the moral and ethical high-ground they currently possessed. They would lose the world’s support and sympathy and the British would brutally crack down to avenge the deaths of their lost comrades, resulting in an endless bloodbath on both sides and an endless civil war that would destroy what was left of India. So, he went against conventional logic and decided to keep the movement one of non-violent resistance.
Logic alone would never have resulted in such unconventional decisions. However, when hard logic is combined with the intuition and gut-feeling of a great leader, it produces visionary-decision making capable of altering the course of history. In 1971, when India was faced with the influx of millions of refugees from East Pakistan, and West Pakistan had refused to take action to improve the situation and stop their brutal ethnic killings, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi called a Cabinet Meeting and decided to invade East Pakistan to restore order and peace there. While the Cabinet Members agreed with Indiraji, General Sam Manekshaw stood firmly against it. Logic alone would have compelled General Manekshaw to obey the PM’s orders and prepare to invade East Pakistan. Yet, General Manekshaw’s intuition and logic both told him that the invasion in the monsoon season when most of East Pakistan becomes muddy and marshy would lead to logistical and operational nightmares and result in a certain loss for India. General Manekshaw’s resolute decision and verdict convinced Indiraji and the Cabinet and the invasion was postponed to the winter season, which resulted in a resounding win for India and the liberation of Bangladesh.
We do not have to go so far back in order to find other instances of visionary leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to maintain strategic autonomy during the Russia-Ukraine war was widely questioned and criticized by the world. Logic suggested that India, as a liberal democracy, must support Ukraine and shun the aggressor Russia, but Modiji’s intuition told him otherwise. When logic and intuition combined in his head, he decided to take the path that aligned with India’s national interest by appealing for peace and return to the path of diplomacy, supporting humanitarian relief in Ukraine, and maintaining India’s energy security by purchasing Russian crude oil.
Is it only in the world of politics that we see these extraordinary leaders? You would be mistaken if you thought so, as the captain in every sport has to make crucial decisions under immense pressure. In the tied match against Pakistan in the 2007 T20 World Cup, the match was to be decided by a bowl-out. Conventional logic supported the theory of giving your best bowlers the chance to hit the stumps and win the match. Dhoni’s shrewd combination of intuition and logic, however, convinced him that the fast bowlers would have immense trouble in hitting the stumps under so much pressure. So, he decided to give the responsibility of bowling to the part-time spinners of India, and stood directly behind the wickets as wicketkeeper to make their aim better. The result was that Pakistan’s best fast bowlers couldn’t hit the stumps even once, while India’s spinners and part-time bowlers struck thrice in a row, winning India the match.
These instances of extraordinary leaders need not be limited to a single person. Collective decision-making that combines the intuition, logic, and a tinge of courage often also leads to extraordinary successes. The mining giant Vedanta Group tried to set up mining operations in a tribal area in Odisha, but faced a resolute gram sabha of the tribals, who refused to let this materialise. Not a single member of the village supported giving permission to the Vedanta Group. Logic here would obviously predict the win of such a powerful company against a supposedly ordinary group of tribals and would compel the tribals to give up their quest to protect their land. However, the tribals did not give up, and backed by the conviction derived from logic, intuition, and courage, kept fighting, even up till the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court finally, ruled in favour of the tribals, denied Vedanta group the mining rights, and a mining behemoth was taken down by a steadfast gram sabha of tribals.
Is it always that visionary leaders make decisions and they prove to be right? It would be farfetched to believe so, because there is something that separates the great leaders from the ordinary ones. Ordinary leaders use logic or intuition, or both, to make decisions, and then blame external factors when things don’t go in their favour. The truly great leaders, however, know that there are no right decisions in life. Rather, one must take a decision, back it at all costs, and do everything in your power to prove that your decision was right.
Through this essay, we have explored how intuition and logic alone aren’t sufficient to make visionary decisions, but rather they must be combined. We have witnessed multiple examples of visionary-decision making throughout history and across multiple fields of life. We have understood that decisions are never perfect, but rather, one must work to prove them correct. Extraordinary, visionary leaders don’t take the right decisions, but make the decisions they take right.
