This was submitted in the comments section recently by Think Daily subscriber Dan Kniseley. I thought it was great and use it. Dan is now a guest Think Daily contributor!
He writes –
The following is something I wrote one Saturday morning a couple years ago, and I still find it to be true every day:
It occurs to me that ‘INTENTIONAL’ may be one of the most significant words in the language of Leadership… Intentionalism is the facet of a Leader’s persona through which all other skills, talents, and energies must shine. Nothing of consequence ‘just happens’ – intentionalism is the attribute that obfuscates apathy, lethargy, and procrastination; that moves ideas into action and concepts into reality.
Intentionalism is the ‘vehicle’ of a VISION WIDELY CAST and CLEARLY COMMUNICATED – its ‘DNA’ can be found in those who have captured the VISION and ENERGY of the LEADER, just as a parent’s DNA is found in their progeny. It shapes and defines the development of those who understand that ‘current state’ will not suffice as ‘future state’ if the Team is to succeed and flourish, and it creates a ‘felt need’ in those who ‘get it’!
The future state lives and dies on engagement and initiative in pursuit of a shared vision that’s valued by the Team.
Leaders must be intentional, and Leadership must be intentionally developed and strengthened.
Discipline is just as important as intentionalism. When we discipline ourselves by not being reactive, do our due diligence, and being a leader by making your team truly believe that they are the reason the company is flourishing and not all you. By being disciplined and intentional it makes for a winning combination. The universe will tell us when we are not being disciplined and intentional all we need to do is be able to recognize that and make adjustments. Disciple yourselves and endless opportunities will be revealed.
Appreciate the contribution and the sharing of it. Powerful insight.
very well articulated and very, very true.
Excellent and so true of effective leaders
Wow, Larry… I was shocked AND humbled to see my writing shared in your blog yesterday! For reasons too involved to get into, my phone was basically dead Friday morning and I forgot it on the charger when I left the house for the day, so I finally got back to checking the blog just before bed – I was FLOORED to see that you considered my thoughts worth sharing with your readership! THANK YOU!!
Being 55 years old and an AVID motorcyclist (2021 Husky FE350s & 2022 Kawasaki VERSYS X 300), I found you through ‘Into the Dust’ – I’ve watched each one at least twice, and I’ve watched ‘4’ at least four times… AMAZING stories of shared vision, goals, lives, and hope, as well as perseverance, determination, courage, and focus (without being ‘single minded’). You are a true champion!
For background, I’m currently a Level 4 Quality Analyst and Program Subject Matter Expert in the Submarine Quality Assurance Program Office at Newport News Shipbuilding in VA but, as a retired Nuclear Trained Senior Enlisted Navy Submariner (22 years), I HAD TO learn and exercise everything I could about Leadership for my entire career (which included 4-1/2 years in Groton, CT btw) and, as such, have read about and studied Leadership from myriad influences from Navy training to John Maxwell to Tony Dungey to TED talks to YouTube for YEARS (including YouTube interviews with and dissertations by you). I find it the most fascinating, valuable, and rewarding topic to be engaged in and considered at any given time in any given endeavor.
I have written and meditated on SO MANY things like ‘Intentional’ over the years just to get centered, collect my own thoughts, and find meaning in whatever I was working on at the time that to see you share it in your blog was mind blowing!! Thank You Again for sharing my thoughts with your readers!
I hope that whatever you glean from those short paragraphs BLESSES YOU and ADDS VALUE to any endeavor to which you apply them. Knowledge is a useful collection, and connection, of facts and data; wisdom is knowledge applied – a big part of that application is sharing it for others’ benefit.
Today I am grateful for David, Sean, Mike, and Dave for your responses, and for Larry for finding value in what was shared 🙂
Btw, I love what David added about discipline and intentionalism being concurrent needs; thank you for that. It’s VERY hard (if not impossible) to realize the benefits of one without the other, and both are needed to sustain progression towards the goal. Great pick up on what was omitted!
I completely agree with Dan on Intentionalism! This is a principle I have been teaching my children from their earliest ages. When you have children “accidents” will happen. I feel it my duty to teach them to prevent accidents (waste). I fully believe that preventing “accidents” (work done incorrectly, resources squandered, injuries, etc) is the quickest way to supercharge your life and business. I have observed that many people struggle because they make so many mistakes and those mistakes cost them. Then they have to recover before they can go to the next mistake. When my children say “I didn’t mean to” I tell them they to to “mean NOT to”! My goal is to teach them to intentionally prevent accidents and mistakes that would simply push them backwards. This is usually done by simply thinking a few steps ahead of where you are currently to what might happen in the near future given your current course. We have to INTENTIONALLY avoid mistakes all the while INTENTIONALLY pursuing success.
Dan, thank you for your original contribution! I also enjoyed reading your bio above. It sounds like you have a wealth of knowledge to share and I look forward to reading more from you in the future!
Thanks Willis! Being a father of two grown offspring (daughter 31 & son 27), I fully understand your quest AND your struggle LOL!! Thank you for your kind words and for your efforts as a father in today’s world!