What's your intention?
Does good luck seem elusive? Do you feel stuck, and wonder why you aren't getting ahead? Looking at others, do you wonder what they have that you don't? Does it feel like you're treading water- paddling as hard as you can, but not getting ahead? Or (maybe worse?) - are you busy, successful but feeling out of sorts??
The good news is, yes, you're normal. And you've come to the right place!
I'll admit it: opening my first post with a bunch of personal questions about feelings felt a bit corny. I almost pressed delete.
But I intend to write here every day, mostly about people leadership and management, and this means persevering. Understanding feelings, especially your own, is table stakes for the needed inner game of a leader. Interpreting and managing feelings is central to all management. Accepting feelings at face value- or acting just based on feelings- can sabotage your situation and subvert your intention.
This inaugural post is about intentions.
The intention we set for ourselves is what allows us to succeed. Intention allows us to strategize and to lead. Having observed the people and cultures of different workplaces throughout my career, it's clear most people don't want to lead. (Many of them also don't want to be led, but that's another story!) Lots of folks love the idea of being a leader, but actually leading a team, a division, or a company requires a range of skills, perspectives, and drive. At every level, from your first manager job through successively larger roles, your own intentions- your internal game- will determine your success. (This is true for individual contributors who want to grow in value and influence.)
Today, when it came to this blog, I had a pretty simple intention: to make up a "good enough" name for it, and to write a short first post. These are modest goals - but ones I knew I could commit to completing. Setting an intention and then following through on it is the foundational building block for all that follows.
Photo by AARN GIRI on Unsplash
