Intent Leadership

"Intent Leadership" is a concept introduced by Santosh Sharma in his book Next What’s In. It is based on the idea Dissolve the box, not just Thinking outside the box. Through the ‘Law of the Fine' Sharma explains that Intent Leadership is much finer and deeper than Thought Leadership and hence more powerful, intelligent and inclusive.
According to Sharma power lies in the fine and not in the gross. Thinking outside the box that guides Thought leaders can only help one to be a better sheep but, will still hold one back. However, dissolving the boxes that empowers and shapes Intent leaders reveals one’s real identity, not just the lion, but much more.
Thinking outside of the box can only make followers or conditional leaders. Real leaders first lead themselves before leading others and this happens only when the mental boxes dissolve to respond from the field of all possibilities and infinite creativity or consciousness. In this field of all possibilities “cravings” are not hooked to “desire”, therefore, we “intend”. We are free to design thoughts and solutions. This designing intelligence gives rise to Intent leaders.
Intent is much finer than thought. In fact intent gives birth to thought. Let’s understand this better through this example. If you are asked “What comes after 1?” your answer (thought) is “2” as you intend to answer this question. But when you are asked “What comes after a?” the answer (thought) is “b” because now you intend to answer the second question. In other words thought follows intention for an intelligent response. When we intend both the “ends” and “means” are intelligent unlike when we desire or crave. Cravings and desire limits the designing intelligence as it hooks us to our boxes.
"Behind every superficial gross there is a deep, finer cause. The gross depends on the fine and not vice versa, so if we want to bring any change it has to be at the finer, causal level or consciousness, he says, arguing that change can only take place through a finer level of consciousness or in other words, our own intention”.
If we draw an analogy: Thought Leadership is like watering the leaves of the tree whereas intent leadership is actually watering the roots. This itself explains the relevance of Intent Leadership.
Real leaders are deeply connected to themselves and therefore, they are connected to all others too. They operate from Universal Intelligence and not mental boxes or cravings which are caused by our attachments, hidden fear, ego, limited understanding of ourselves, and narrow mental intelligence. A universal direction helps in repositioning individuals and organizations from a follower or a superficial leader to a real leader with universal vision and insight for sustainable growth.
Any situation in life and profession is made up of many aspects or variables. When we respond from boxes we don’t only fail to incorporate the relevant variables but also infect the limited aspects or variables which are participating in our decision.
Thinking out of the box in case of Thought leadership certainly helps in incorporating a few more variables but deeper and more relevant variables are still missed out and the infection continues to remain. Dissolving the box and leading by intent is the answer to lead the hot, crowded and dynamic flat world.
When we intend we design thoughts and solutions as we see deeper, wider and faster into situations. It happens because we are not boxed but now we operate from the field of all possibilities and infinite creativity.
Background
All of us usually respond to everyday situation through automatic and compulsive thought patterns. This prevents us from designing thoughts and solutions as we are mentally trapped. These mental traps are the boxes that we are hooked to. We fail to listen to our inner voice and fall short of fulfilling our dream. We become followers.
Management thinkers worldwide now encourage “thinking out of the box”. By doing this we are able to come out of only some of the superficial boxes. The deeper boxes, like our wrong understanding of our selves, creation, perception and religion, still remain to pollute our decisions. We still suffer from hidden fear, ego, attachment, limited intelligence, likes, dislikes, habits etc. that guide our thoughts. Thus, the solution continues to be limited and infected. So at best we can only be conditional leaders. Dissolving the boxes is the real answer wherein we free ourselves from all the compulsions of thought patterns that come automatically. Now we do not react from the boxes but we act from the field of all possibilities and infinite creativity.” This makes us real leaders.
Practical Implications
1) To unlock and express our inner intelligence which is actually boxed.
2) To design thoughts and solutions with Universal Intelligence.
3) To be the change agent and not the change victim.
4) To lead the hot, crowded and dynamic flat world.
5) To reposition from a follower or conditional leader to a real and natural leader.
6) To see deeper wider and faster into situations.
7) To have an inclusive, intelligent and a sustainable growth.
Criticisms
It is felt that the idea is logical and relevant but some feel it is very difficult to minus the cravings out of our desire to actually intend. However, we feel so because we are deep in love with our boxes. The moment we dissolve them Intent leadership will come naturally to us.
Reference
1) http://epaper.livemint.com/ArticleImage.aspx?article16_05_2011_012_005&mode1
2) http://www.businessworld.in/businessworld/businessworld/content/Box-Factor.html
3) http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/the-winning-way-review/1/16438.html
4) http://www.financialexpress.com/news/shelflife/828244/2
5) http://www.hindu.com/mp/2011/04/28/stories/2011042850580300.htm
6) http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/newmanager/article2079321.ece
7) http://www.iipmclubs.in/news-and-events/Guest-Lecture-by-Mr.-Santosh-Sharma-(Cultivator---Universal-Intelligence,-Conscious-Advisory-Services-Pvt.Ltd.)-at-IIPM-Hyderabad/
8) http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/05/unleash_your_creativity_break.html
9) http://www.managementexchange.com/hack/thinking-out-box-not-enough-dissolve-box-and-reposition-0
10) http://www.sparktherise.com/projectdetail.php?pid=3161

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