7 Practices for Cultivating Strong & Intentional Leadership
How many leaders or managers have you worked with who assume being a good leader simply involves acting like an authority figure?
While authority is an important quality to develop as a leader, I’d argue that leading from the front and setting a good professional example can be far more persuasive than simply throwing around one’s authority.
Because who likes following someone around simply because they tell you too?
Not only that, but an inspirational leader can motivate a team to do better than what the task at hand requires.
And often with a good attitude, too.
That’s what intentional leadership can do in a workplace and it’s the difference between a job and a career.
In this post, I’ll explain what intentional leadership is and why it’s important. I’ll show you how you can bring intention and forethought into your professional life to help you become a better leader.
What Is Intentional Leadership?
Intentionality is a deliberate approach to life that clearly links purpose to action.
In professional leadership, intentionality is a focused and sustained approach toward a common goal.
This approach is particularly effective at motivating a team as the plan of attack is clear, everybody understands what their roles are, and why it is important to stick to them.
As Jeremie Kubicek puts it, intentional leadership is about raising the capacity of a team through clear direction and strategy. Âą
On the other hand, a leader who does not possess intentionality has the potential to negatively impact a company or team culture, promote unproductiveness, and even hurt a business’s bottom line.
Why Intentional Leadership Is Important In Your Professional Life
A lack of intentional leadership can cost an organization dearly. Team members can become discouraged and precious momentum can be slowed. Ultimately, talent, time, and money can be wasted.
And as a leader, you don’t want any of these things.
Intentional leaders should demonstrate objectiveness, well-directed ambition, and determination.
There is no better motivator for others than a motivated and level headed manager or leader that is clear in their intentions, fair in their judgements, and thankful for your efforts.
To bring more intention into your leadership, implement these following tips into your professional life.
7 Practices for Cultivating Strong & Intentional Leadership
1. Listen And Ask Questions
Good leaders show interest in their team members' ventures. This not only brings you insight into a person’s talents, motivations, and a project’s progress but it also creates trust. And with trust comes respect, which is a huge motivator and productiveness booster. ²
In today’s workplace, where people aren’t just seeking a salary but also fulfilment and job satisfaction, this can mean the difference between keeping a valuable team member and losing them to other professional opportunities or company projects.
2. Take Time To Reflect
You can bet your bottom dollar that a good leader is a good decision-maker.
And good decisions come with careful consideration of all potential outcomes. Taking time out to reflect and consider a difficult decision can be hard to do, especially when under stress or while we are busy. So it’s important to take some time out to reflect and work through all considerations in your mind before acting.
In doing so, you are acting from a place of calmness and thoughtfulness rather than reacting and making rash decisions on the fly.
NewScientist suggests these 10 science-based points when in the decision-making process: Âł
Don’t fear the consequences, simply be aware of them
Go with your gut instincts
Consider your emotions
Play the devil’s advocate
Keep your eye on the ball
Don’t cry over spilt milk
Look at it another way
Beware social pressure
Limit your options
Have someone else choose
3. Engage In Professional Development
To continue to develop as a good leader, engaging in continuous professional development is important. It not only helps to secure the professional position you are in but it also leaves you with plenty of marketable skills for your professional future.
This can include formal education, life experience, personal development and self-education like taking online courses, attending public lectures, and listening to podcasts from thought leaders in your field. Don’t miss our top recommendations for mindful leadership books!
But don’t limit yourself to just these options, seek professional development wherever and whenever you can.
Here are a few organizations that have quality professional development training online:
4. Find A Mentor
Find and develop relationships with people who are currently or have previously been in your position. In doing so, you are likely to receive feedback, advice, and support that you may not elsewhere.
A mentor that gives you honest and unbiased input into how you are faring professionally is invaluable to your professional and personal development. Which, of course, is invaluable to your future development.
Here are a few online communities that offer mentorship and training opportunities for businesses and leadership:
5. Cultivate Relationships With Your Peers
Another great way to further your professional development and to find mentors that benefit the way you lead is to cultivate relationships with your peers. After all, they’re likely experiencing the same issues as you at the management level and likely have good advice or perspective to offer.
And that’s exactly why company happy hour is actually a smart business move.
Aim to develop as many of these relationships with people as you can within your area of expertise. This is important to gain new ideas and perspectives as well as keep up with key developments within your line of work.
6. Nurture Self-Awareness
Yes, I know.
Everyone is talking about self-awareness - but that isn’t to say it isn’t an effective way to boost your leadership skills.
By being aware of your values, habits, wants, needs, emotions, and personality, you are able to see more clearly how your actions and the actions of others affect your ability to deal with stress. This will allow you to make better decisions when under pressure which, ultimately, makes you a better leader.
Here are a few resources to develop self-awareness and awareness of others:
7. Share Your Knowledge And Skills
Your ability to share your knowledge and skills with your team and peers reflects your ability to lead. Your team wishes to grow in their professional lives also and there is no better way to do this than to share your expertise with them. This not only improves their skills but also their confidence, productivity, and job satisfaction.
Which, in turn, also benefits you professionally.
As your team’s skills and knowledge improve through your guidance as does your ability to free yourself up for more pressing matters and future opportunities.
Here are some inviting ways to share your knowledge and skills with your team:
Hold weekly individual meetings with key members of your team. Use the meeting time to encourage open communication, develop ideas, and apply the principles of effective delegation to your shared objectives. Providing mentorship and guidance in an open and friendly way is a powerful motivator.
Offer informal training opportunities in your company meetings, where you can share processes or ideas that will help improve your team’s workflow.
Reserve a budget for training opportunities so that if a team member becomes excited about a certain tool or method, they have opportunity to explore it.
Conclusion
Yes, the business world is fast-paced and forever changing. But don’t allow this to inhibit your professional development as you continue to become a better leader.
Talk to your peers, ask questions of others, share your knowledge, and, most importantly, be happy as you go about it.
At the end of the day, becoming an intentional leader will help you reach your career goals.
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Kubicek, Jeremie. “Intentional Leadership.” Leader to Leader 2012, no. 64 (March 1, 2012): 38–43. https://doi.org/10.1002/ltl.20021.
Hughes, Mathew, J.P. Coen Rigtering, Jeffrey G. Covin, Ricarda B. Bouncken, and Sascha Kraus. “Innovative Behaviour, Trust and Perceived Workplace Performance.” British Journal of Management 29, no. 4 (April 16, 2018): 750–68. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12305.
Douglas, Kate, and Dan Jones. “Top 10 Ways to Make Better Decisions.” New Scientist, April 4, 2022. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19426021-100-top-10-ways-to-make-better-decisions/.