[Blog] Leading with Intention

Tina Paulus-Krause

How intentional are you about your growth?

I ask this question to leaders and teams daily. Too often, leaders of teams and businesses do not have an intentional growth plan. For themselves, for their teams and even for their small businesses.

Most often I get a weird look followed by, “What do you mean?”

I ask, “Are you growing as much as you want to right now?” Almost always: “No.”

“What do you think is holding you back?” Almost always: “I don’t know.”

This scenario is an example of the opposite of intentional growth. How can you, your team or your business grow if you are unaware (or unwilling to see) what is holding you back?

Leading with intention means creating priority and focus on ongoing growth, training and continuously asking for feedback, to quickly pivot, grow and move on.

We are living in a world of rapid and constant change. This requires an up-level in our individual and collective leadership. Master leaders lead with intention and are constantly learning, growing and bringing the team along with them.

How open are you to exploring your blind spots and limitations?

Do you know what holds you back from creating the results you REALLY want?

Continuous growth and improvement require a process to continuously tackle what’s holding you and/or the team/business back.

Here’s a three-step process on how to lead with intention.

1.  ASSESS—Journal around the following questions:

• What’s working in my leadership?
•  What’s not working in my leadership?
•  Go ask 5 people the same 2 questions.

2.  CREATE—Feedback is a gift. From this feedback:

•  Define (get clear) on your vision (strategy/goal).
•  Create a step-by-step plan to implement—who does what, by when.
•  Get into committed action and GO!

3. FOLLOW UP—Create accountability and follow up weekly to check on:

• What’s working toward accomplishing the vision?
•  What’s not working?
• What’s in the gap?
•  What support is needed? Tweak as needed (continuous learning and growth).

Are you brave enough to “go there?” To ask the tough questions?

Are you open enough to request and receive feedback?

We choose how we spend our time and energy, which creates reality. The fact is, there are 24 hours in a day and only so much energy to go around. We can let the day take us by staying stuck in the chaos or we can intentionally lead. It’s a choice.

Being stuck does not serve you. Being in forward movement towards a clear and intentional goal does serve you!

Growth demands intention. The above process is a repeatable one. When you get stuck, the quicker you understand what’s working and what’s not working, the quicker you can reset and create the fix to get back into forward movement.

How will you implement ongoing learning and consistent training into your daily leadership and overall operations?

Lead with intention and watch yourself, your team and your business GROW!