Being more intentional with your career and leadership was a huge recurring theme at the 2024 Women of Impact Retreat in Palm Cove (join the 2025 waitlist for advance super early bird notice).

The amazing Anne Massey raised it multiple times as one of the key drivers to her success. Plus intentionality was raised again and again as a critical element for the pathway towards becoming a successful CEO.

SO WHAT IS INTENTIONALITY?

Intentionality is the art and science of being deliberate and purposeful about navigating next steps in your life and career, as opposed to leaving things up to luck, happy accident or waiting to be tapped on the shoulder.

Being intentional means that you feel as though you are in the drivers seat of your own career rather than being a passenger without a seat belt in the back seat, sliding around without much control. Instead –

• You get to set the direction, dictate the pace and even work out when enough is enough,
• Your work life balance is going to be better,
• Your role satisfaction is going to be greater,
• Your career will advance more consistently,
• You’ll be paid better,
• Your influence and visibility will be consistent, and
• Your career transitions will be far easier.

FOUR REASONS WHY WOMEN SOMETIMES LOSE SIGHT OF BEING INTENTIONAL

Here are four reasons why sometimes women lose sight of being intentional and can feel out of control again.

1. The socialisation of women and girls tends to be more passive – this is the opposite of intentionality and if this is you, it’s time for you to lay claim to what’s rightfully yours. Yet for many women we’ve been encouraged to “allow the universe to provide”. My response to that is that one day there will come a time when you start to wonder and imagine what could happen if you actually tried. It’s time to take control.

2. Work overwhelm or burnout – perhaps you’ve been in an incredibly busy work transition, a merger or buy out, or you’re head down backside up inside an organisation and can’t see the forest for the trees. Life has been exciting and you’ve managed to survive while others weren’t as lucky. Because there is so much going on you have the semblance of being intentional, but it’s more likely to be the tail that’s wagging the dog, rather than the dog wagging the tail. It’s time for you to reclaim what used to be yours and truly step into your potential. It’s time to take back control.

3. Personal life overwhelm or burnout – where you’re dealing with the double or even triple shift – often involving a big job, caring responsibilities for an aging parent and/or children, and maybe a life stressor or two thrown in such as moving house, a personal illness or a redundancy. Individually or in combination, this can throw you back in passive mode again at best and victim mode at worst. If this is you, it’s definitely time to regroup and connect back into what’s really important to you, or risk losing sight of yourself and your goals entirely. Once again, it’s time to take back control.

4. Lack of inclusive culture – and this one is tough because you could be doing all the right things, but when there is a culture of bias or discrimination, often nothing you try is noticed and can lead to you feeling disillusioned and losing focus on your career because you feel undervalued and under appreciated.  Once again, it’s time for you to take back control.

HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY

Being intentional is not just good for you, but good for those around you and also great for the businesses you work for. It’s not waking up and turning up to work every day hoping that things will go well for you, wondering what your email is going to throw at you and fantasising that you might be able get to the end of the day with your dignity in tact.

Instead, being intentional is about having a vision for your career and/or life, then linking that vision to a monthly or weekly plan, then taking daily and purposeful steps in the direction that help you feel a sense of progress towards achieving your goals.

As I challenge in my book Invisible to Invincible – it’s your time to become the CEO of your own life career and destiny!


Then imagine what could happen if you actually tried.

YOUR THOUGHTS? Drop me a note and let me know. Are you 100% intentional or some 50 50 blend instead? Would love to hear.