intentionality – Page 3 – leadership dots

leadership dot #4953: foundational

May 19, 2026May 18, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

It’s always more fun to create new things than to fix existing problems, but failing to pay attention to infrastructure needs can cause real issues later.

Think of it like buying an old house. You may want to start painting or picking out new accessories, but if the electrical box is a mess, it needs to take priority. It’s painful to spend thousands of dollars on something you can’t see, but working systems are necessary before the aesthetics are addressed.

The same is true in organizations, where teams may prefer a high-profile new project over maintenance of record-keeping or other data systems, but attention to those tasks creates a stronger foundation to support creative work later.

For some organizations, summer may offer a different cadence in the work. Utilize the time to review the not-glamorous-but-essential systems, and ensure your foundational infrastructure is solid before the “decorating” begins.

leadership dot #4952: clarify

May 18, 2026May 15, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The best time to outline expectations and clarify responsibilities is when there is no emotion involved. This usually occurs when no particular situation is at hand, and you can discuss in generalities and ideal scenarios rather than when a conflict is brewing.

It’s why it is wise to set ground rules for meetings, outline expectations with a timeline during onboarding, and clarify responsibilities at the beginning of a project. People tend to be more rational and reasonable when they aren’t staring down a deadline or having a disagreement about direction.

This part of the process is often overlooked, with optimistic people believing that everything will work out and things will proceed as planned. Unfortunately, it is rarely the case. Whether setting a schedule for who does the dishes or pays the bills, or being clear about what benchmarks must be met on a project, first clarify those expectations before anything else. Agreeing early is much easier and less time-consuming than disagreeing later.

leadership dot #4949: emotions

May 15, 2026May 14, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

One of the tenets of Emotional Intelligence is the ability to moderate emotions and channel them into productive uses. But before you can moderate, it’s important to learn to recognize what is truly at the core of your emotional reaction. Why are you so mad in this meeting? Why did that comment set you off? Why are you envious of another person’s success? Why are you feeling unappreciated?

And then, while it may be appropriate to moderate your emotions in the moment, it does no good to suppress them or to ignore the root cause. The next skill is learning the courage to address what triggered your feelings, whether through a conversation with another person, a change in your behavior, or altering the circumstances in the future.

As Disney showed, emotions have the ability to turn you inside out. Treat them like you would any other performance skill and work to strengthen your command of their power. Recognize, moderate, and address.

leadership dot #4948: everywhere

May 14, 2026May 13, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

A colleague presented a workshop session sharing the words of wisdom he learned from others over the years. Another colleague taught a class based on lessons learned from movies. There are many books on marketing insights from the Grateful Dead, and much has been written analyzing Taylor Swift’s business savvy.

We often think that learning is a formal process, and you must be in a classroom or seminar to absorb it. In reality, opportunities for education, inspiration, and insight are everywhere. The lessons are there if you pay attention.

leadership dot #4946: wording

May 12, 2026May 11, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

It’s a rare person who likes to be told what they are doing wrong, but most people are more receptive to hearing what they can do to get better. This simple nuance of language can make the difference in whether someone actually hears your feedback in a way that is actionable.

For example, which do you think would be more effective:

“Your free throw is bad,” or “You’d be a stronger player if your free throw improved.”
“Your report is choppy,” or “Your report would benefit from stronger transitions.”
“That outfit doesn’t work on you,” or “A deeper shade would better complement your skin tone.”
“Your presentation was boring,” or “Next time, consider adding a few stories to your presentation.”
“Your event was confusing,” or “First-time attendees could have benefited from more information and signs.”
“Your feedback was poorly delivered,” or “Saying the same thing in a different way could make it more effective.”

Your goal isn’t to just deliver the message; you want it to alter behavior. Keep the end in mind at the beginning of your comments.

leadership dot #4937: menu

May 3, 2026April 30, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Back in the day, when diners had a simple list of regular dishes, their menus came with pictures of all the offerings. As restaurant variety expanded, the photos were replaced with text descriptions of the many available items. People like me had to resort to scanning other diners’ meals as they were served to gauge what to order.

The First Watch restaurant realized that people are visual and added a QR code to their menus so customers could see pictures of the food before ordering. What a great idea! It helps to align expectations, saves time, and may entice people to try something new. And it saves people from craning their necks or guessing what the next table is eating!

Can you use a QR code as a simple way to provide more detailed information to those who are interested? A picture may be worth a thousand words (or calories!), but a thousand words can also be a feast for the inquisitive. Strive to provide your clients with information in the way they want it.

leadership dot #4936: semiquincentennial

May 2, 2026April 30, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

One thing that surprises some visitors to the U.S. is how prolific the American flag is. Not all countries have their flag designs on mass-market merchandise or display their flags in homes and businesses, but if visitors thought the flag was prominent before, they ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

As America approaches its 250th birthday on July 4, marketers have jumped on the occasion to repackage everything they can in red, white, and blue. Cereals, candies, snacks, and beverages all have changed their product colors to capitalize on the holiday. Whole sections of patriotic-themed clothing, soft goods, decorations, and party favors are popping up in stores.

Pay attention, and you’ll find dozens of items trying to gain your dollars. Before you get swept up in the 250th commercial mania, remember what the day is celebrating: our independence from tyranny and the goal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Spend your money on causes that help promote that, rather than on trinkets and repackaged food.

leadership dot #4931: triggered

April 20, 2026April 17, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Everyone has been in situations that created ire and where emotions rise.

The key is what happens next. You may pout or let your anger fester, causing drama as it lingers beyond the immediate interaction, or you can repress it and move on as if nothing had occurred.

What happens less frequently is taking a few minutes to reflect on what caused the emotion in the first place. What triggered your emotion — was it something that was said, or not said? Did the setting contribute to the situation? Was it the timing? Did past circumstances influence emotions in the present? What could you have done differently? What did you learn to help you the next time a similar situation occurs?

Getting past the initial drama is better than carrying it around, but don’t move on without some self-reflection. You can’t regulate what you don’t understand.

leadership dot #4904: cross purposes

March 23, 2026March 19, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Those who know me know that I am a regular blood donor, having given over 17 gallons and counting. When I donate, the Red Cross encourages me to schedule my next appointment at the donation site or immediately afterward, which I always do.

It is then frustrating when I receive emails promoting the latest giveaway, in this case, an exclusive Life is Good t-shirt, available only from March 30 to April 12. It’s not like a store where incentives can drive people to make repeat visits. Donors can only give every 8 weeks, so I am ineligible to donate during that time.

It seems that the Red Cross promotions are working at cross purposes. They want people to schedule in advance, but then they cause them to miss out on promotions by offering them only for a two-week period, while their donors are bound to an eight-week cycle. Maybe next time, people should wait to see what is offered before signing up?

Incentives are a tricky thing. They can drive behavior, but also drive people to act in ways that are counter to the desired results. Before offering inducements, consider what other implications would happen if they worked.

leadership dot #4901: firefighter

March 20, 2026March 18, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When an organization is in crisis, the focus becomes all short-term. It’s “where can we cut?”, what change can we make today?”, and “how can I get through tomorrow?”. Leaders can become so involved in firefighting that they forego innovation.

And then it becomes a vicious circle. When leaders fail to articulate a vision of what the other side of change looks like, there is no near-term movement to achieve it. The crisis consumes all of the organizational energy, often deepening the troubles.

Even in the best of times, it’s hard to think about tomorrow amid today’s meetings and priorities. Strong leaders need to be intentional about carving out separate chunks of time to think about the future and to take preventive measures before flames erupt. Schedule your calendar as a visionary, not a firefighter.