intentionality – Page 4 – leadership dots

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.

leadership dot #4900: composition

March 19, 2026March 17, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

It’s a tricky and important job to assemble a board, committee, or task force. You try to balance demographics and pay attention to constituent representation. You need expertise, but don’t want everyone so entrenched in the status quo that they are unable to innovate. You want thinkers, but may also need “doers”. You may strive to have certain skills present, but you may also want to give new voices a seat. And you need to keep the group to a manageable number, or they’ll spend as much time finding a time to meet as they spend doing the work.

One tool to help with this task is an attribute list. I wrote about this (dot #684a) as it relates to interviewing and hiring, but it works just as well to define committee composition. Rather than picking people based on history, position, or interest, take a few moments to write out the key characteristics you are seeking in your group. You may even create a matrix, as each member will likely meet several needs (e.g., skills, demographics, etc.).

Not that a committee compiled by popularity, legacy, or random selection would necessarily be bad, but one chosen with intentionality is likely to be much stronger. Give your ad hoc “hiring” as much attention as you do permanent spots by clarifying in advance the role you are trying to fill.

leadership dot #4883: illustration

March 2, 2026February 25, 2026by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

One of my favorite teaching tools is the Magic Coloring Book. I can amaze audiences with a coloring book that alternates between showing all blank pages, all outline pages, or all fully colored pictures. While it looks like “real magic,” it is surprisingly simple to master.

I just used it when talking about creativity: “Some people think they have none, some have a little, and some consider themselves creative, right? But if you know the technique, everyone can be creative.”

I used it during orientations, urging students to become involved in college so that when they leave, their resumes and experience wouldn’t be blank or outline; rather, they’d be fully colored.

I have used it many times to demonstrate the difference between no participation (staying home), a little effort (voting), and being fully engaged (activism).

If you need a guaranteed attention-getter that can demonstrate your point with flair, consider a Magic Coloring Book. You, too, can be a magician with a purpose!