How executive presence skills support the intentional business leader
Photo by Vasileia Eleftheriou on Unsplash
The power of intention extends past our personal lives, and it can help executives and leaders solve some of their biggest business challenges. As an intentional business leader, you can begin to develop crystal clear vision and a strong culture of excellence and innovation.
The Power of Intention
You have likely heard this phrase in the context of personal achievement and goal-setting, but what exactly does it mean?
Intention takes a nebulous goal or thought, such as “I need to focus more if I want to complete this project” and turns it into action. Without a plan, goals are really wishes with no power behind them. With intention, you have a specific plan in place regarding how and when you plan to focus:
I will block 90 minutes on my calendar M,W,F for this project
My phone will be set to do not disturb mode during that time
By the end of week one, I will complete phase I of the project
The key? Writing down your action plan. Simply thinking about the steps doesn’t carry the same weight as a written plan.
In fact, one experiment tasked three groups with the general goal of “exercise more.” Group 1 tracked how often they exercised. Group 2 listened to motivational content on the benefits of exercise. Group 3 listened to the motivational content AND wrote a plan for when, where and how they would exercise.
The result? According to this account of the study:
“In the first and second groups, 35 to 38 percent of people exercised at least once per week. (Interestingly, the motivational presentation given to the second group seemed to have no meaningful impact on behavior.) But 91 percent of the third group exercised at least once per week—more than double the normal rate.
Perhaps even more surprising was the fact that having a specific plan worked really well, but motivation didn't work at all.”
In a world where motivational business speakers draw thousands of followers, hearing that motivation doesn’t work might land like a lead balloon. As a business leader, however, you need to know that a pep rally will only work to move your team toward its goal if you follow it with intention and written plans. Inspiration has its place, but intention does the heavy lifting.
Leading with Intention
As a leader in your organization, your people look to you for clarity. Even as priorities shift, your team needs specifics on what it means to succeed and how that success will be measured. That clarity needs to come in the form of an action plan accessible to everyone. In other words, it can’t stay in your head. Share it and allow your people to discuss it, add to it and then set it in motion.
As CIO Dive noted in this article:
“The workforce doesn't expect leadership to predict the future, but creating clarity about what success looks like provides employees with marked and measured goals. Even if a project changes direction, creating clarity along the way and adapting to the changing circumstances helps the team become more flexible to ultimately foster innovation…”
In the midst of the rapid change created by the pandemic, clear expectations and communication will help keep your people on target. Even when they feel overwhelmed by the amount and speed of the changing environment, they can track back to the shared goal and vision you communicated. With that intention in mind, the entire group can focus their energy and resources on the actions that matter most to the end goal.
Without intention and shared purpose, systems and morale break down.
Becoming Intentional
As with all facets of executive presence, you can learn to enhance this skill. Few people are born intentional leaders, but practice can help you tap into this ability.
Here are some daily practices to help you hone this skill:
Assess your to-do list. Not every task carries the same priority. Make a point each day or week of highlighting the tasks that support your leadership or team goals.
Schedule focus time. Our brains need distraction-free time to move into deep flow and problem-solving mode. Set aside 90-minute focus blocks.
Write a clear vision. As an executive, you have specific goals you need to reach. Your vision should include those as well as your personal values and goals for how you want to show up as a leader.
Take real breaks. Doom-scrolling does not count as mindfulness. Take a walk, exercise or do something creative. These breaks pull your brain out of reactive mode and allow you to see the big picture with fresh eyes.
Pay attention to habits. When you are bored or anxious, do you habitually check email or social media? Making note of these patterns allows you to reassess their value in your life.
Seek connection. Schedule check-ins with your team and set aside time for personal social time. Strong professional and personal relationships help build your sense of purpose and keep you focused on your vision.
Finally, think about how you want to leave your mark on the organization, industry or community. Intentional leadership means identifying your own strengths and values and then mapping out a plan for how to use them to bring a bigger vision to life.
Reach out to me to learn more about intentional leadership and the facets of executive presence. I help business leaders create a purpose and vision for their career paths.