Trust · Chapter 4: Intention — What Are You Really Leading For?
Intention in Leadership
What Are You Really Leading For?
Your team is uncertain whether your leadership decisions are truly for their benefit or for your own advancement. Intention is the invisible force behind every decision you make.
When it is strong
- •Before your next major decision, write down who benefits from this decision — you, the team, or the organization. If the answer is primarily you, reconsider the approach.
- •Have a direct conversation with your team about your leadership purpose. Share why you lead and what you are trying to build for them.
- •Identify one policy or practice that benefits you as a leader but burdens your team. Work to change or eliminate it.
- •Ask yourself weekly: 'Whose interests did my decisions serve this week?' Be honest with your answer.
When it is missing
From a team member's point of view, the absence of intention creates uncertainty. People may begin to work around the leader, hold back honest input, or question whether support will be available when it matters.
The specific pattern is not a label for a person—it is useful feedback about what the team experiences repeatedly.
How teams experience this
People can sense when a leader is leading for themselves versus leading for others. When they sense the wrong intention, trust collapses quietly.
Leadership Mirror is designed to compare a leader's intentions with the patterns their team actually experiences. That gap is where a constructive development conversation can begin.
A question your team reflects on
This component includes 2 anonymous team-feedback prompts. One example is:
“I believe this leader genuinely cares about the well-being of the people they lead, not just results.”
How to improve
- 1Before your next major decision, write down who benefits from this decision — you, the team, or the organization. If the answer is primarily you, reconsider the approach.
- 2Have a direct conversation with your team about your leadership purpose. Share why you lead and what you are trying to build for them.
- 3Identify one policy or practice that benefits you as a leader but burdens your team. Work to change or eliminate it.
- 4Ask yourself weekly: 'Whose interests did my decisions serve this week?' Be honest with your answer.
- 5Find one opportunity this week to sacrifice a personal convenience for the benefit of your team — and do it without announcing it.
See beyond self-perception
Do you know how your team rates you on Intention?
Leadership Mirror measures intention alongside 20 other leadership components through anonymous team feedback, so you can see how your leadership is experienced—not just how it is intended.