Get Agile #27 | Intent-Based Leadership | Jenni Jepsen

Intent-Based Leadership is a way of leading when we give control based on technical competencies and organizational clarity. Created by David Marquet, author of "Turn the Ship Around" it was popularized in the Agile community by Jenni Jepsen. Tomasz Wykowski from ProCognita interviews Jenni, on why Intent-Based Leadership works, and how to apply it.

Jenni starts with David's story on how he learned that one man cannot think for the whole submarine crew. She explains the main concept of Intent-Based Leadership, which is to give intent and take actions, rather than ask for permission and wait. To achieve this, she says, people need to obtain both technical competencies and clarity on the goal.

They discuss how it can be used for both leaders who want more autonomy and responsibility on their teams, and team members who'd like to change the way they're managed. Jenni describes The Ladder of Leadership which starts with "tell me what to do" and moves up through "I see…", "I think…", "I'd like to do…", and "I intend to do…". She shows that the last step is when employees don't have to wait for permission.

During the conversation, they look at how leaders can develop their skills and how they can understand their triggers to avoid returning to old behaviors under stress. They cover the development of competencies and how to ensure the right information is available when people are making decisions.

Jenni company page: goAgile.dk
Her book: TOGETHER – How leaders involve & engage people to get great things done
https://www.amazon.com/TOGETHER-leaders-involve-engage-people/dp/B08NRP13R4

More on Ladder of Leadership: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zOqFe1nTZc
David Marquet's website: https://davidmarquet.com

His book: Turn the Ship Around! https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Ship-Around-Turning-Followers/dp/B08V4TFFCK/

This interview was recorded during ACE! Conference (https://aceconf.com) in Krakow, Poland with support from Pragmatic Talks (https://www.pragmaticcoders.com/resources/pragmatic-talks)

Jenni keynote from ACE! Conference 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyg6wuRAJTs