Developing Intentional Leaders

When the path forward is uncertain, intentional leaders are the ones who keep teams aligned, focused, and moving. When everything feels off-balance, intentional leadership is what holds teams and organizations together.

Here’s the surprise: Intentional leaders show the same qualities that define great improvisers—positive, value-driven, self-aware, and continuously improving. Improvisation isn’t just a theatrical skill; it’s a leadership mindset rooted in skills that are learnable, practical, and essential for navigating disruption.

Common perception may make that seem counterintuitive; improv is just off-the-cuff and unscripted, right? In reality, the greatest improvisers rehearse twice as much as their colleagues in scripted theater. They must be highly practiced, skilled, and able to manage any surprise, because every show is different. That is exactly the sort of agility today’s leaders need, because every day brings new challenges. As talent development professionals, we can help leaders grow by leaning into discomfort and continuing to develop improvisational behaviors.

Improvisational qualities of aware leaders

TD professionals can use a variety of techniques to develop the three tools of improvisation—self-awareness, positivity, and continuous improvement—that intentional leaders embody.

Self-awareness

Intentional leadership is not about acting on impulse or simply responding to situations as they arise. Instead, it involves a deep awareness of one’s values and goals and the impact of one's decisions on others. Intentional leaders are deliberate in their actions, understanding that each choice they make affects their team and organization. They operate with empathy for others and consistently align their actions with their vision and values.

They do things on purpose. And they know that they can affect situations without meaning to simply because they are a leader.

Intentional leaders are students of themselves and others. They’re aware of the impact of their actions and words and empathize with the reactions they observe.

In addition, they understand that people are wired differently, which means they cannot communicate with everyone in the same way. Intentional leaders must bring different parts of themselves to the table based on the situation. That’s another area that demands the flexibility of an improviser. Reading the room, sensing another person’s preferences, and then responding appropriately is a skill that leaders can develop and hone over time. Intentional leaders ask themselves, “What part of me would be optimal for this situation?”

How can improv inform the self-awareness of leaders? Improv techniques demand that a person deeply understands their strengths and opportunities, which enables the individual to be honest about what they bring to the table and what they need in those around them.

Great improvisers are aware of their talents, the ability to sing, for example. They also know they need another troupe member to fill their gaps; they may need a partner who has mastered one-liners. The same applies to high-performing business leaders and teams leaning on each other’s abilities.

Greater awareness and self-understanding encourage leaders to step back: It enables micromanagers to reconsider their actions and enables top-down communicators to readjust and see the benefit of connection with frontline workers. It also encourages the building of a succession pipeline and fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility trust in direct reports to try, learn, fail, and improve over time. When leaders trust their teams to make decisions and contribute their ideas, that autonomy enables teams to respond more nimbly to changes and challenges.

Positivity

The analogy of improv is powerful and positive. When leaders think of themselves as improvisers, they become less afraid of change and uncertainty. They embrace the unexpected and develop adaptability. That takes a huge amount of positivity.

The improv mindset (often called a growth mindset) is a highly positive outlook that embraces mistakes and uncertainty as learning opportunities. The “Yes, and” approach, a cornerstone of improvisational theater, encourages individuals to accept what someone presents (the “Yes”) and then build upon it (the “and”). In leadership, that fosters an environment where team members feel heard and valued. It also promotes open communication and collaborative problem solving.

Positivity encourages experimentation, growth, and learning. Leaders who cultivate an improv mindset in themselves and their teams create an environment where everyone views change as an opportunity for learning rather than a threat. By modeling a willingness to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them, leaders help their teams feel safe in doing the same.

Leaders can impart that mindset by offering positive reinforcement for effort, resilience, and progress, rather than just outcomes.

Continuous improvement

Leaders who possess a commitment to lifelong development can guide their teams through challenges and help their organizations thrive in the face of change. They understand that continuous improvement also applies to them. However, they can’t do it alone. TD professionals play a critical role in guiding leaders on their journey of continuous growth, ensuring they remain intentional and adaptable in an ever-evolving business landscape.

Improvisers understand the importance of constant improvement; most great improvisers rehearse many hours every week, and even highly successful comedic improvisers work with coaches and directors throughout their careers. Similarly, effective leaders must have deep relationships with their TD team and coaches. Leaders need guidance on how to identify their strengths and areas for improvement. Many higher-level leaders want and need to develop and grow, and often their title promotes them out of accessing in-house training. By using coaches and leadership team workshops and off-site training, TD leaders can drive continual improvement.

Techniques and outcomes for high-level leader development

TD teams must create environments that prioritize learning and growth. Encourage leaders to step out of their comfort zones. It’s tough to engage in development opportunities that challenge mindset and skill set. Yet leaders who are open to feedback, embrace growth, and can navigate their own vulnerabilities are the ones who build trust and resilience in their teams.

Awareness, as discussed above, is the first step to activate ongoing development. Create ongoing development that builds upon itself. One option is to take a layered approach, using multiple techniques and learning modalities. Doing so enables leaders to gain awareness step by step and then expand that growth over time.

Assessments are a great place to start when designing development opportunities for executives and teams. Many assessments offer insight into personality, reputation, behaviors under stress, and others’ perceptions. Work with organizations that have solid data and a track record of success. Also, use a properly certified coach. Choose an assessment based on level—first-time managers need to understand how other people perceive them, how to navigate multiple communication styles, and how to be more intentional about their approach to leading and coaching. Senior leaders need an assessment that includes cultural and reputational indicators.

Taking it one step further by using a team-oriented experience based on assessments. When the entire leadership team completes an assessment and shares the outcomes, it enables team members to better understand each other, improve their communication, and deeply understand where the team may have gaps and needs.

Next, consider feedback and a development plan rooted in the organization’s leadership competencies. Leaders must honor the company’s values and behaviors. Misalignment on those creates cultural dissonance, and employees become disengaged.

Workshops are an essential part of the recipe. Leadership teams who grow together, stretch their comfort zones together, and practice accountability are the ones who excel together. The vulnerability of learning together exercises the improvisational muscle, and that leads to strong adaptability, awareness, and intentionality.

Some of the most important skills to include in workshops must be actionable and measurable. Five important leadership behaviors are:

• Practice active listening. Listen without interruption or preconceived judgments. That builds trust and ensures leaders hear all voices, which leads to more inclusive decision making.

• Embrace mistakes as learning opportunities. Shift the organizational perspective on mistakes from being solely negative to valuable learning experiences. Doing so encourages innovation and reduces the fear of failure.

• Encourage collaborative creativity. Create spaces where team members can brainstorm and experiment together, fostering a culture of collective problem solving and innovation.

• Develop adaptive thinking. Regularly challenge the status quo and encourage flexible thinking by posing what-if scenarios and exploring alternative approaches.

• Practice the “Yes, and” mindset. Incorporate the approach into meetings and discussions to build upon ideas constructively, thus enhancing team cohesion and creativity.

The outcomes of those development activities are highly effective communicators. Communication is the backbone of adaptability. Aware and intentional leaders model behaviors rooted in the vulnerable desire to understand others and act with care, even in the face of crisis.

Leaders who prioritize transparent, honest, and open communication create a culture of trust. Teams must be able to openly discuss challenges, propose solutions, and receive constructive feedback in real time. There is nothing worse than a lost week of time because someone was afraid to speak up in a meeting. By opening the doors to communication, leaders hear concerns earlier, and teams can adjust and deal with issues far more quickly.

Developing aware and intentional leaders is a key ingredient to fostering resilient, adaptable teams and organizations. TD leaders are essential to guiding leaders on their path of lifelong development, ensuring that they remain self-aware, positive, and dedicated to continual improvement. Real magic happens when intentional leaders are also highly improvisational.

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