11 leadership takeaways on trusting your own business instincts

While it’s practical for business leaders to lean on each other for inspiration and advice in the marketplace, sometimes the feedback is based on opinions, less driven by the facts. That’s a red flag to go with your instincts and continue to do your own research.

If you want to thrive in your industry, it’s important to gather a diverse set of information and reach out to your network, but remember that it’s you who has the final say when it comes to making the right decisions that will serve your company well.

Below are 11 positive lessons that Fast Company Executive Board members have learned by ignoring negative feedback they’ve received during their time in the business world.

1.  ALWAYS BET ON YOURSELF.

The worst advice I’ve ever received was that I’d be foolish to leave my executive role at a big-name company. The comment fed into fears I already had about losing relationships I’d spent years building and nurturing. But I realized that I have these relationships because of who I am as a person, not because of an impressive title or brand name. Betting on myself was the best career decision I’ve made. – Nicole Marra, Fixer Advisory

2. PULL MULTIPLE ADVISORS AND RESOURCES.

To stay competitive, employ diverse advisors and intelligence resources. This will allow you to cross-check advice, enhance, and be more informed. In my experience, people will provide advice based on their experiences—and business changes very fast, especially from digital disruption. Yesterday’s thinking is no longer an advantage. Therefore, I’ve developed a more informed approach when it comes to seeking advice. – Ed Beltran, Fierce, Inc.

3. SHARE LEADERSHIP TO CREATE STRENGTH.

I have heard countless times that a 50-50 partnership can’t work because someone has to be the majority owner. My business partner and I ignored that and founded our business on the belief that shared leadership creates strength. It has resulted in a more supportive culture, better products, and happier clients. – Holly Sydnor, AWL Strategies

4. REAL GROWTH STEMS FROM WEARING ALL THE HATS.

The best advice I ever ignored was to get experience before doing anything entrepreneurial. The best experience I have ever gained has come from being an entrepreneur, not from working a corporate job. Most jobs pigeonhole you into a particular set of tasks because that is how most organizations are most efficiently run. The real growth comes from wearing all the hats and then scaling with a team. – Tyrone Foster, InvestNet, LLC

5. FEEDBACK CAN HELP FUEL THE FUTURE.

When I was first starting out, I was interested in working with a marketing agency but they turned me down. The feedback was that it was too hard to teach consumers a new concept with our product. This was extremely discouraging, but I used their feedback to help define my entire marketing plan. Educating the consumer on how our product works is still one of my main goals. – Kelley Higney, Bug Bite Thing

6. DON’T LISTEN TO THE NAYSAYERS.

I was told before I started my digital marketing firm, that social media—especially marketing on Facebook—was a flash in the pan and would never last, so don’t anchor your business to just social. I don’t really think I need to tell you all how that turned out. I ignored this terrible advice, followed what I knew to be true, and built a thriving agency as a result. – Christopher Tompkins, The Go! Agency

7. CHOOSE FACT OVER FICTION.

As a career innovator, I’ve often had to decide whether to go with or against advice coming from all directions. Ignoring advice has led to the launch of new businesses and the creation of significant value for customers and shareholders. Ignoring does not mean don’t listen. When the choice is made not to adopt advice, you’ve got to have clear reasons and facts for going in a different direction. – Amy Radin, Pragmatic Innovation Partners LLC

8. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.

Ignoring someone’s advice is a double-edged sword. I’ve had both positive and negative outcomes, but what’s more important is to identify and improve your decision-making process. Do your own research based on that advice before execution, and if you have the slightest uneasy feeling, you should go with your gut, and not be influenced by the person giving advice. Most of the time, you’re right. – Alice Hayden, H2 IT Solutions

9. DON’T OVER-INDEX TOO MUCH ADVICE.

I am a huge advocate of seeking out advice wherever I can. I regularly consult with friends, colleagues, and even clients. That said, it is possible to over-index on other people’s advice. Advice is great until you find yourself being drained by the daunting task of sorting through dozens of other people’s competing perspectives. So, yes, seek out advice, and yes, be prepared to ignore it!  – Camille Preston, AIM Leadership, LLC

10. BEWARE OF BIASED BUSINESS OPINIONS.

The best advice I ever got was to be very careful when getting advice. People are usually biased and base their individual experiences as ground rules, especially if these rules have helped them become successful. – Yoav Vilner, Walnut

11. STUDY THE MARKET AND YOUR COMPETITION.

One piece of advice I’ve ignored is to ignore my competition. To me, this doesn’t make any sense because I can only develop a great and helpful product if I know what my competitors are doing.

So, I think it’s important to study the market and your competition. Doing so has helped me add great features to my products and make them easy to use. – Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner