I totally agree with this. I think the best engineers are the ones with both a strong "feel", but also a keen ability to introspect, explain, and justify their

I totally agree with this. I think the best engineers are the ones with both a strong "feel", but also a keen ability to introspect, explain, and justify their instinct. The other key ingredient is knowing when to let your intuition run wild, and when to apply it like a seasoning. On your side note: I also agree here, though the problem may be intractable, since really good managers are not always accustomed to explaining whence their intuition comes.