Your Intent Is Written On Your Forehead.

Here’s a short little hitter that I’ve been thinking about recently…

‘Your intent is written on your forehead.’

This seems to be a principle that people agree with in theory but discard in practice. It also happens to be one of the many principles I discovered by observing others and, eventually, myself. Occasionally, I’ll learn a lesson that really makes a difference in the way I navigate the world. This is one of them. Many of the “leadership principles” I’ve written down are practical tips that improve my ability to interact with others in specific circumstances. This principle, however, fundamentally altered my approach to leadership.

I think the power of this principle is that it forces you to check yourself. Nobody reading this is entirely selfless, including me. Undoubtedly, you have schemed your way to self-serving rewards in the past. Maybe you took credit for something you shouldn’t have. Maybe you didn’t help someone when you could have so that you would look better in comparison. Maybe you timed an admirable action to ensure others would see it. Whatever version of secret guilty selfishness you think you get away with, I promise you, everyone sees it. Though it might not be blatantly obvious, your true intent seeps out of you, and the people around you will pick up on it.

If you’ve had a leader, a teammate, or even a friend where you feel something is just a little off… it probably is. But if you have a covert agenda you’re hiding from the world, that’s how everyone feels about you. If you press your team extra hard on a project, and your primary intention is to get yourself promoted, it doesn’t matter what inspirational team-oriented rhetoric you use to smokescreen your selfishness. It doesn’t matter how smart and clever you think you are. Not only will your team be offended by your lack of honesty, but they will also be offended by the implied insult that you think they are too stupid to notice.

Proceed through life as if your intent was written on your forehead. Act as if everyone knows what you’re thinking… because they do. You will start to catch yourself lying (even lying to yourself). You will question why your intentions are what they are and naturally develop more wholesome ones. This will make you more effective as a leader. We all know how much harder we want to work for a teammate or leader who works hard for us.

I have received criticism that my leadership philosophy is idealistic, i.e., not realistic. If this principle seems that way to you, try it and see how people respond. I’d wager that your life and relationships will improve.

Of course, as always, you must come to this with a balanced approach. Becoming selfless to a fault can land you in trouble. Giving away all of your time, energy, and resources to others is unsustainable. There is a time and a place to put yourself first. But that time is not when planning and executing a mission or project. If your team succeeds time and again, and you don’t claw for every sliver of credit along the way, eventually, you will get recognized and rewarded. Do the right thing for the right reasons.

If you are hiding something, people can smell it. You might get away with small, short-term, tactical selfishness. But in the long term, selfishness is a failing strategy.

Have a great weekend.

-Ieuan