Intentional Leaders: Are You One?
Intention. Where will we be without it? Intention refers to the reasons or purpose for an individual to act a certain way, involving conscious decisions to direct oneself toward a desired outcome. In other words, it is an aim. For instance, have you watched the movie that came out this past summer alongside Barbie called Oppenheimer? The movie is based on the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who was determined to create the first atomic bomb, racing the Nazis for the title. Oppenheimer had a clear vision and a purposeful and strategic direction to reach the goal while providing the support his team needed to find the answer - that's an intention.
Before discussing the steps to becoming an intentional leader, let's pause to understand why being an intentional leader is highly effective. Intentional leaders have set goals and deliberate plans to achieve them, leading their teams thoughtfully and straightforwardly. With such attuned leadership, a team is confident in themselves, works effectively, and continually improves their talent and skills, becoming highly successful.
So, do you have what it takes to be an intentional leader? Your answer should be "YES!" because anyone can develop the skills to be an intentional leader.
Indeed, you don't need a crisis, like creating the first nuclear bomb, to be an intentional leader. But you can begin by being trustworthy and transparent. That builds clear communication, accountability, and creates confidence and certainty between a leader and their team. Additionally, intention does not signify assertiveness. With assertiveness, people tend to have a more forceful intent, insisting on the direction one should go. However, intentional leaders can be more agreeable and great listeners because efficient solutions involve diverse thinking. On top of that, the workforce is constantly changing, whether it's new demands and expectations or developments in company culture and environment. So, with their teachable characteristics and comfort in their pure instinct, intentional leaders do not have to stress about these changes too much.
Remember! An intentional leader is very successful because they bring the 'why' to the team - when people are told the 'why,' not just the 'what' of their goals, tasks, and work, they perform better. For instance, the team develops a spirited collaboration because they understand what they are working towards and believe in the movement or the vision. Moreover, this encourages disagreements and open dialogue since people are open to sharing their thoughts and discussing how the vision can be improved. Undoubtedly, this develops other leaders, too.
Now, to set your intention and become a more intentional leader, here are a few steps you can take:
Clarify the mission, goals, objectives, and priorities: Have a clear vision and develop the why. A clear vision allows you to understand where you stand and your viewpoint. Subsequently, it lets people work proactively and efficiently where they have an actual interest in what they are doing.
Take your time: Don't rush! Be mindful of what's going on. Taking the time to communicate with your team and clarify questions and misunderstandings is essential. Moreover, taking it slow allows everyone to be on the same page.
Be tuned in: Always have open communication so you know where everyone stands. This way, you can quickly address any thoughts, concerns, feelings, and emotions that members may have.
Be an excellent leader: Understand the step-by-step plan and where you want to end up, in other words, the end goal. Also, stay positive and motivate your team to propel them.
Inevitably, it takes time to reach your full potential as a leader or to develop the intention itself. Every day, you have to take the time and effort to be intentional in your tasks and plans, slowly developing this asset of a skill. Unquestionably, being an intentional leader, you lead to win. Since you have a vision in mind, and your plan aims to reach that goal, without a doubt, you intend to accomplish it and succeed simultaneously. That's the power of intention; it allows you to achieve a lot and do it outstandingly.
So, are you an intentional leader?
Check this out!:
In the business realm, many organizations and corporations utilize various assessments to determine whether you are an excellent fit for the company or role. One of these personality assessments is called DISC. DISC stands for Drive, Influence, Support, and Clarity. The DISC personality assessment provides an understanding of how someone performs in the workplace, their strengths, and their personality at work. The assessment can help gauge what kind of leader someone is. For instance, Drive shows how ambitious one is and whether they're up for new challenges. Influence presents an individual's interest in social interactions and how much someone enjoys networking and creating connections. Support is how warm and accepting one is, appreciating being part of a team. Lastly, Clarity describes one's consciousness and cautiousness when making decisions and working on challenges.
Take the test!