“Welcome all,” intones the Lama, who sits cross-legged in front of his students and leads their meditation from the front of the room. “You may want to remember your intention for being here. He is here to cultivate enlightenment, calm, and insight.”
Intention It is defined as a determination to act in a certain way toward an intended thing, such as a goal or plan. It is derived from the Latin word, intentionwhich means: stretch or purpose.
Theory of Intentional Change is the methodology presented by organizational psychologist Dr. Richard Boyatzis in his book resounding leadership. He outlines the same theory in his class at Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, about Transformative Leadership through Emotional Intelligence available online via Coursera.com
Boyatzis sums up his lifelong study of leadership with these words: “There is no nobler goal than leading people to excellence, fulfillment and collective achievement… We need people who can see beyond the present, awaken hope instead of despair and engage others on an intentional journey of transformation.”
According to Boyatzis, the ability to motivate people to improve their lives is one of the most critical abilities to learn and understand. In her classes and books, she answers questions about how people can improve their resonant leadership skills and how they can stay effective when facing daily challenges.
By integrating key insights with research and case histories, Boyatzis guides us through powerful exercises designed to help us develop a personal vision of our lives and work.
We learn that resonant leaders manage their stress through mindfulness, hope, compassion, and renewal. We then write essays designed to elicit those same emotions within ourselves.
By focusing on our strengths, values, and sense of purpose, the writing exercises fuel our desire to be a better person. This leads us to a personal vision that reveals our ideal self and desired future.
Looking at who we are now, we ask friends about the times when they remember us best and strongest. We examine the strengths we possess that support our desired future and consider the roles we play that have meaning for us. We take note of relevant ideas based on our past experience. And finally, we ask ourselves what we need to do to close the gap between where we are now and where we want to be.
Developing a plan for intentional change culminates the training. Because we are set in our ways, we need to make a conscious effort to change. Our change plan will focus our time and energy on making our dreams come true.
To achieve our dreams we must know them and Boyatzis helps us open the door to this discovery. In the words of Rinpoche, “You may want to remember your intention to be here…”