Intentionality: The Most Underrated Leadership Skill You’re Probably Ignoring

Let me ask you something uncomfortable: When was the last time you truly acted with intentionality?

Not reflexively. Not reactively. Not because a board meeting or quarterly earnings forced your hand.
But because you had the clarity of thought, the discipline of purpose, and the courage of conviction to say, "This is the hill I will climb."

Intentionality is the key difference in a world obsessed with distraction. Yet, among all the senior leaders I advise—from Fortune 500 CEOs to mid-market founders—intentionality remains the most underdeveloped skill in their leadership toolkit.

Busyness is Not Strategy

Let’s get something straight: busyness is not a badge of honor. If your calendar is packed wall-to-wall with back-to-back meetings, that doesn’t make you strategic—it makes you a prisoner of other people’s priorities.

Intentionality demands space. It requires the willingness to say no, the discipline to focus on the vital few, and the courage to ignore the trivial many. Peter Drucker once said, “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” I’d go further: there is nothing so dangerous as an executive who mistakes activity for achievement. 

Intentionality and Strategic Relationships 

If you’ve followed my work on Relationship Economics®, you know I believe that relationships are the greatest asset in any leader’s portfolio—but only if you invest in them with intention. You don’t stumble into strategic relationships. You design them. You prioritize them. You nurture them over time, with consistency and clarity.

Here’s what I tell my clients: your relationship portfolio is a reflection of your intentionality—or your lack thereof. Do you know:

• Who are your top 25 most valuable relationships?

• What value are you creating for them before you ever ask for something?

• Where are your relationship gaps in influence, insight, and impact?

If not, don’t be surprised when those you need most don’t return your call. Intentionality isn’t just a strategy; it’s a standard of behavior.

The 3 Lenses of Intentionality

Over two decades of advising growth-minded executives, I’ve found that intentional leaders operate through three distinct lenses:

1. Clarity of Purpose – Intentional leaders know why they’re doing what they’re doing. They’re not just playing the game—they understand the win condition. Whether it’s scaling a $200M firm to a billion-dollar enterprise, transforming a legacy culture, or repositioning in a saturated market—clarity of purpose anchors action.

If your executive team can't succinctly articulate:

• What success looks like,

• How you’ll measure it, and

• Why it matters right now,

…then you’re just busy, not intentional.

2. Focus of Execution – Intentionality is ruthless about what doesn’t matter. It's not about doing more—it's about doing less, better. Most executives struggle with what I call strategic clutter. Too many priorities, too many initiatives, and too many sacred cows.

Here’s the brutal truth: You can’t scale clutter. You can’t inspire teams around a laundry list of competing objectives. Intentionality means saying:

• “This is what matters.”

• “This is who’s accountable.”

• “This is the timeline.”

 And everything else? Deprioritized or delegated.

3. Consistency of Investment – You can’t drive transformation in fits and starts. Whether it's culture, customer experience, or leadership development, consistency compounds. Intentional leaders treat investment in people, systems, and capabilities as non-negotiable. They don’t cut training because margins are tight. They don’t ignore culture because the product roadmap is behind. They understand: Your current results are a reflection of past intentionality. Want better outcomes? Invest more consistently—in the right things.

Why Intentionality is Hard (But Worth It)

Let’s be honest. Intentionality is hard. It requires time to think, which feels like a luxury in most executive environments. It forces hard choices—who gets resources, who doesn’t. It often demands we admit: we’ve been playing small, distracted, or reactive.

But here’s what I know: Intentionality drives momentum. It unites teams around clarity. It builds trust because your actions align with your words. It attracts the right partners and pushes away the wrong ones. It transforms relationships from passive to active, from transactional to transformational. You can’t outsource intentionality. You can’t automate your vision. You can’t delegate your north star. As a leader, you set the tone, the tempo, and the direction.

 How to Build Your Intentionality Muscle

Want to lead more intentionally? Here’s where to start:

1. Audit Your Calendar. Are your time allocations aligned with your top priorities? Or are you reacting to noise?

2. Clarify Your “Big Bet.” What’s the one bold move you’re committed to this year? Name it. Own it. Build toward it.

3. Evaluate Your Relationships. Who are the 10 people who will most influence your next chapter? What are you doing—intentionally—to create value for them?

4. Schedule Thinking Time. Block 90 minutes a week—non-negotiable—for strategic thinking. No meetings. No emails. Just clarity.

5. Be Public with Your Priorities. Intentionality thrives in transparency. Tell your team where you’re focused—and ask them to hold you accountable.

Final Thought: Drift is the Enemy

Let me leave you with this: drift is the enemy of greatness. No one drifts their way to legacy. No one stumbles into enduring impact. We drift when we stop choosing. We drift when we prioritize comfort over clarity. We drift when we let others define what matters. 

Intentionality is how you fight the drift. It’s how you reclaim your leadership. It’s how you leave a mark that matters.

So, the next time you walk into that boardroom, that strategy offsite, that 1:1 with a high-potential leader—ask yourself: Am I here by design or by default? Only one leads to extraordinary.