Leadership With a Twist

Lead With Purpose: Navigating Intention vs. Reaction

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Most leaders aren't failing because they lack skill or effort. They're failing to lead themselves first. In this episode of Leadership with a Twist, Heather McGonigal and Barbara Schindler dig into the difference between moving through your week with intention versus reacting to whatever lands in front of you.

This conversation is for high performers who are getting results but feel like they're running on fumes, for mid-level leaders stretched across too many priorities, and for entrepreneurial CEOs who know their team is capable of more but can't quite figure out why the week keeps running them instead of the other way around.

Heather and Barbara break down why high performers struggle most with "good enough," how to define winning in your role before the week starts, and what it actually looks like to pace yourself with intention across a full work week. This is practical, grounded, and immediately actionable.

Key Takeaways

  • You are a limited resource. Four to five hours of truly focused, high-quality thinking per day is the realistic ceiling. Build your week around that reality.
  • Reacting to volume is a habit. Recognizing when the work is driving you instead of the other way around is the first step to changing the pattern.
  • High performers must redefine done. Good enough in the right context is not a compromise. It is strategy.
  • Define winning before Monday. Starting the week with a clear picture of what successful completion looks like sets the tone for every decision that follows.
  • Milestones matter. Celebrating incremental progress builds team culture and fuels sustainable performance.
  • Self-leadership is team leadership. When you move through your week with greater intention, you model it for everyone around you.

    • Action Steps

    1. On Monday morning, before anything else, review your calendar and project list and ask: what does winning look like in my role this week?
    2. Identify which projects need your highest-level output and which need to be done to "good enough." Name that distinction explicitly.
    3. Block time based on your energy. Schedule your deepest thinking work during your peak hours, and protect those blocks.
    4. At the end of each day, do a 3-minute check-in: how is my week tracking against my intention?
    5. When the week ends, name the wins out loud. To yourself and your team.

      6. Questions to Reflect On

      • Are you leading your week or reacting to it?
      • Where are you holding yourself to a standard that doesn't match what the project actually requires?
      • What would change for your team if you started naming wins more consistently?

        • Ready to work through this in your own leadership? Book a complimentary coffee chat with Heather or Barbara: https://www.empoweringleadershipteams.com/coffeechat

        About the Hosts: Coach Heather and Coach Barbara are the lead Executive Coaches of Empowering Leadership Teams. They specialize in helping entrepreneurial businesses and their teams meet the moment and become the most empowered they can be to work together and achieve optimal results. With deep expertise in leadership development, team dynamics, and navigating organizational transition, they bring practical, actionable wisdom to leaders facing the challenges of today's rapidly changing business environment.

        Need support implementing these ideas?

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        Cheering You On!

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        Leadership With a TwistBy Heather McGonigal and Barbara Schindler