The Practical Value of Intuition - Michelle Scott

In this episode of Everything's Not Black & White, Lachandra and Brian sit down with intuitive leadership coach Michelle Scott to explore how high-impact leaders can move past overthinking and step into true alignment. Drawing from a personal health crisis that forced her to slow completely down, Michelle breaks down intuition and somatic intelligence as practical, data-driven tools for modern executive strategy. The conversation delivers powerful insights on how our bodies process stress before our minds catch up, how to dismantle internal pressure, and how mastering a grounded, non-reactive presence builds immediate psychological safety in the boardroom. 

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Transcript

Everything's Not Black & White

The Practical Value of Intuition - Michelle Scott

Episode Transcript

Intro Announcement: Welcome to Everything's Not Black and White with your hosts, Lala and Brian.

Lala: Hello everybody, and welcome to today's episode. Today we are joined by special guest, Michelle Scott. Michelle is an intuitive leadership coach who helps high-impact leaders move beyond pressure, overthinking, and outdated patterns so they can lead with greater clarity, presence, and alignment. And I know that world very well, so I know you all will get a kick out of that.

Michelle brings more than 15 years of experience working with executives, founders, and rising leaders, blending executive coaching, somatic wisdom, intuitive intelligence, and deep personal transformation. Her work asks a very powerful question: What if your presence is not just a part of your leadership strategy? What if it's the actual strategy?

Michelle, welcome to the Everything's Not Black and White podcast!

Brian: Hi, Michelle.

Michelle: Hi! So nice to be here with you two.

Lala: Yeah, we're so glad you're here. Your work is so interesting and really sits at this intersection between executive leadership, intuition, somatic awareness, and personal transformation—which are all things that I'm very down with and have done a lot with in my own life. But before we start getting into the definitions of what all that means, who is Michelle Scott beyond her title?

Michelle: Who is everybody beyond their titles, right? I've reinvented myself a bunch of times in my professional life. I started out as a CPA—so very left-brained. Then I became a stay-at-home mom raising two daughters, then an executive coach and entrepreneur, and now I'm helping leaders reconnect to themselves.

Those are the roles, but who I am beyond that is actually what I love to talk about. That's where presence and intuition come in. Who I am beyond the title is literally who I'm being. I look forward to sharing more about that as we journey through this conversation.

Lala: Yeah, I love that. A lot of times I'll meet people and say, "Tell me about yourself," and the first thing they want to tell me is their job or professional role. I'm like, "No, not what you do—who you are." I think so many people hesitate to say who they are out of fear of rejection, not being seen, or feeling inadequate. Has that been your experience as well when you talk to folks?

Michelle: Gosh, completely. We're all doing the best we can with our backgrounds and our lens of perception. I've definitely struggled with all those things—it's part of the human condition.

Part of my story is that I had a thyroid condition diagnosis. I say my thyroid "woke me up" because it brought me to my knees and forced me to stop everything and completely slow down. That slowing down helped me come into a deeper awareness. When I come from my inner self, I'm not driven by self-doubt, fear, or people-pleasing. When we're stuck in our insecurities, we identify with those as who we are, making them feel real and important. But the moment I come back to myself, I realize that's not who I am. It brings real peace.

Lala: Two things really strike me about what you just said. One is about slowing down. We live in a digital age where everyone has such a short attention span. People don't always have the patience to go slowly, methodically reflect, or build self-awareness. Why do you think we've put so much value on high-achieving, fast-paced situations where we always have to move quick and be first? That creates an immense amount of pressure.

Michelle: Totally. There's inertia in not stopping to question what's going on, including our own reactions. If I just continue in that pattern without stepping back to say, "This feels uncomfortable, chaotic, and stressful—does it have to stay this way?", nothing changes. But the moment I pause and insert that question, life begins to naturally shift. I realize I actually have more control over my environment and experience than I thought. That's when we become empowered within ourselves instead of feeling at the whim of the world.

Lala: I 100% agree with that. When I talk to my teams, I discuss the "span of control" chart all the time because many people feel like the world is just happening to them without any decision-making power. You make so many decisions, including setting boundaries. One of my good friends always says, "You will be in submission to others if you don't believe in your ability to recover."

When you talk about intuition—which we all have—it's about whether we lean into it to guide us. That's what you're advocating for, right?

Michelle: Absolutely. In my own life, I realized I was staying busy intentionally to avoid looking at the harder things about myself—like avoided conversations or fears about the world. But when I slowed down, I realized it was actually okay to be with myself.

The key was learning not to be hard or judgmental toward myself through my inner critic. You can keep going at Mach 10 and ignore all of this, or you can run the experiment: slow down and see what happens. Will the world really fall apart?

Lala: That's so powerful. Let's establish some definitions for listeners wondering what terms like intuitive leadership, grounded presence, and leading from within actually look like in a boardroom, team meeting, or during a hard decision. How would you explain this style of leadership?

Michelle: That's the most fun part of my work. Instead of operating solely from the mind—and we love our minds, logic is essential—operating only from the mind misses a whole layer of information, relational connection, and awareness of impact.

Intuition isn't magical; it's information. It helps leaders notice things that data alone can't—like sensing tension before a conflict erupts. If I'm tuned into my Spidey sense or intuition, I pick up on those subtle cues and adjust what I say in the moment. It helps you recognize when a conversation should or shouldn't happen, or notice when someone isn't being entirely truthful without judging them.

It helps you discern whether fear or wisdom is driving your decision. We still use strategy, analytics, and logic, but we want our intuitive side walking right alongside them.

Brian: First and foremost, can I say thank you for including my favorite Marvel superhero ever, Spider-Man! My Spidey sense is always tingling, so I appreciate that reference very much!

Lala: I knew you'd like it when she said that! My husband is a huge Marvel fan and already bought advanced tickets for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Michelle: I didn't know that about you ahead of time, see? That's how this works! That Spidey sense level of connection happens naturally.

Lala: I love that! What stood out to me is having the data and the intuition to interpret what the data is actually telling you. In many organizations, leaders don't get the real story behind the data because data only tells one side. Intuition layers onto that beautifully.

Michelle: Yes! Everyone is intuiting all the time whether they realize it or not. What if we consciously harness that power? It opens up maximum creativity, new possibilities, better ideas, and smoother collaborations.

Lala: I have a personal mantra centered around peace, healing, and joy. People sometimes call me "woo-woo," but I don't care about labels—I own my own. What you're describing makes total sense. Traditional corporate leadership models often leave out who we actually are as human beings. What do you say to someone who pushes back on these concepts as not being "legitimate" leadership tools?

Michelle: Let me give a practical example from a client I adore. She was having a conversation with an employee and her intuition told her, "Something is off here." But she didn't speak up in the moment and let it pass.

Six months later, the same pattern occurred, and she ignored it again. Eventually, that unaddressed issue grew into serious dysfunction and ended up in a messy dispute. When we reflected on it, she admitted, "Yeah, I first noticed something was off a year and a half ago, but I just ignored it."

That is the practical reality. Paying attention to your intuition isn't just about preventing things from going wrong—it makes outcomes significantly better. Your mind might play tricks and say "that's not real" as a defense mechanism to maintain control, but everyone has these perceptual skills.

Lala: 100%. We second-guess ourselves or compare ourselves to others who aren't acting on their intuition. First off, stop comparing yourself to others! Get to know who you are and accept yourself.

Since COVID, there's been so much discussion around mental health, burnout, and overstimulated nervous systems. When people are exhausted, they shortcut everything, including their leadership style. What are some small cues people can look for to realize, "I'm responding from a stress state rather than an aligned state"?

Michelle: There's a key distinction: it's rarely external pressure versus internal peace—it's external pressure versus internal pressure. The myth is that external circumstances create all the pressure. In reality, much of it comes from the pressure we put on ourselves internally.

Everything outside can be spinning like crazy, but where you operate from can remain solid, neutral, and non-reactive. Internal pressure clears up when you do inner work—like releasing judgments of others. When I judge someone, I generate an internal state of "against-ness." That energy sits inside me, creating the physical and mental pressure I feel.

Lala: And that pressure acts like a powder keg if it isn't addressed. You mentioned somatic wisdom earlier. A book a friend kept recommending to me is The Body Keeps the Score. What role does the body play in leadership when triggered or stressed? What physical cues show up before the mind even catches up?

Michelle: Most of us don't realize our body is speaking to us because it doesn't speak English—it speaks in sensation. You might feel tightness in your heart, gut, or shoulders.

For instance, if I'm facing a confrontational situation, my gut tightens up. In the past, I didn't pay attention to that. Step one is simply developing awareness of what's happening in your body while you interact with the world.

The body speaks first, and our nervous system won't let us push past unaddressed fear without diverting around it. A quick somatic tool you can use anywhere—even in a Zoom meeting without anyone noticing—is taking your right hand and gently rubbing or gliding it over your left hand, like you're applying lotion, and then switching sides. It helps soothe the nervous system.

Run the experiment in your own life: notice physical tension, apply a grounding tool, and see what changes. Since becoming aware of my body, my financial world, my relationships, and my stress levels have completely transformed because my body feels more relaxed.

Lala: I love that so much. I try to do that myself when I feel tension or dread—asking, "What is the trigger? Why am I processing it this way?"

I'm a little neurospicy myself, so I process things differently than my husband, who is neurotypical. Leaders need to realize that about themselves and create space for their teams to have open, vulnerable conversations, because how we show up impacts everyone around us.

Michelle: We are perceptive beings. Just like a dog senses when you're angry without a word spoken, humans pick up on vibes and unspoken states of being.

That's why presence matters so much. When I manage my inner world and show up centered, non-reactive, and authentic, traits like peace, strength, creativity, and joy naturally come forward. That creates a feeling of safety for everyone in the room.

Lala: For listeners who realize, "I may be successful, but I'm not fully aligned," where should they begin?

Michelle: If they are asking that question, they've already begun! Simply being curious and willing to look deeper is the definition of slowing down—it doesn't require hours of meditation. Start by asking questions, noticing your state, and finding resources or support if you want to go deeper.

I know with 1000% certainty that aligning internally impacts your success in every area of life, including practical leadership.

Lala: It's about adopting a grounded leadership model. The best way to be successful is to be true and authentic to who you are. Trying to fake it or copy someone else burns you out fast.

Michelle: Exactly. Fighting against your authentic self takes immense effort. That's why people burn out—not necessarily because they're doing too much, but because they are ignoring themselves too much.

Lala: Yes! You put high effort into a low-value proposition and burn out.

Michelle, you are amazing. This conversation has been so enlightening. If our listeners want to connect with you or learn more, how can they reach you?

Michelle: They can visit my website at michellescottcoaching.com. I have a free four-archetype Presence Quiz on the site. It takes just a few minutes, helps build self-awareness, and provides specific somatic tools based on your archetype result.

Lala: That's awesome! I'm definitely going to take that quiz.

Thank you again, Michelle, for bringing your wisdom and expertise to our podcast today!

Michelle: I'm so grateful to be here with you both and for the work you're putting out into the world. Thank you!

Brian: We appreciate you! You can email us at enbwpodcast@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Lala: That's all the time we have for today, my friends. Thank you to Michelle Scott, and we will see you all next time!

Brian: Bye!