Leading with intention is one of the most important disciplines a leader can develop. It requires pausing to consider not just what needs to get done, but how we show up, make decisions, and engage others in the process.
Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Fallon Nyce, Senior Director of Enterprise Portfolio Management at the University of Notre Dame and a MOR program participant. Fallon may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn.
Why Leading with Intention Is Essential for Leaders
In fast-moving environments, it’s easy for leaders to default to reacting rather than choosing how to respond. Leading with intention helps create clarity, consistency, and trust—especially when demands are high and priorities compete for attention. The challenge is that intention is often the first thing to slip when demands increase and time feels constrained.
My growth into leadership is probably a somewhat common story. I was a strong individual contributor, reliable, demonstrating some early thought leadership, so new roles and opportunities came my way. I learned leadership through observing the leaders around me, emulating what I felt were the good things and noting the things I definitely did not want to do. And if I’m honest with myself, to this day, this was still the primary way I was developing as a leader: What good things do I see around me? I want to do that too.
This “leadership by collage” approach, copying and pasting pieces of others, has served me well enough. But here’s my ah-ha moment from my MOR experience: I was building my leadership style based on external inputs, instead of a strong internal foundation. This is where MOR has been truly transformational for me.
MOR taught me a fundamental concept that is changing everything for me: leading with intention. And this is on two distinct, powerful levels: leading with intention with how I use my time, as well as with who I am as a leader.
Intentionality in Being (The “Who”)
For me, this is the game-changer. The MOR program is changing how I frame my own internal reflections and responses, from “What would [leader I admire] do?” to instead start asking the much harder, but more important question: “What kind of leader do I want to be?”
After the workshops, I needed to pause, reflect further, and root this answer in my core values. (I highly recommend using the Dare to Lead Living Into Our Values exercise to ground yourself in your own values. Mine are collaboration and trust.)
Now, when I get uncomfortable when I’m practicing new habits or developing new skills, I will have a values-based litmus test. Am I feeling uncomfortable because this is practice, or am I feeling uncomfortable because I’m operating out of alignment with my values?
Intentionality in Action (The “What”)
MOR is pushing me to pause and ask critical questions before I accept a meeting or dive into a task.
- Does this move the needle for my team, by removing blockers, providing clarity, or creating a growth opportunities?
- Does this move the needle by advancing my department’s strategic goals?
- Does this move the needle for my organization, by directly improving the student, faculty, or staff experience and realizing the vision of our strategic framework?
This is the tactical day-to-day that moves the needle little by little with every intentional decision, and how I will translate action into results.
The Journey Forward
Leaders who lead with intention are more deliberate about how they spend their time, the meaningful actions they take, where they focus their energy, and how they engage with others.
In practice, leading with intention might mean taking a few minutes at the start of the day to clarify priorities, pausing before responding in a difficult conversation, or or choosing to listen more fully rather than rushing to solve.
I am only at the beginning of this program, but this shift to intentional leadership already feels profound. This isn’t a “set it and forget it” change. It’s a daily practice. It’s the discipline of asking “Why am I doing this?” (the action) and “Who am I being while I do it?” (the identity).
Leading with intention is not about perfection—it’s about making small, consistent choices that shape how we lead over time. My hope in sharing this reflection is to encourage all of us to pause and ask those same questions. Where might leading with greater intention improve my leadership this week? And how are we living our values?
Which best describes how you define yourself as a leader?
Last week, we asked about one small, consistent action you find most enhances your ability to lead.
- 36% said slowing yourself down
- 26% said actively listening more
- 20% said trusting others more
- 19% said being more patient with others
As discussed last week, leadership growth and development is about consistency, awareness, and the willingness to invest over time. Slowing ourselves down enables much greater intentionality in shaping ourselves as leaders. Like any well-tended garden, the impact compounds.