Intention and alignment in leadership matter even more in the age of AI. As we use AI to scale our communication and leadership, these two practices help ensure that technology amplifies our values, strengthens our authenticity, and builds trust—instead of quietly shaping who we become.
There are two buzzwords we’re not using enough: intention and alignment.
The first word: Intention
In my keynotes, the more I show people how to communicate using AI without losing their authentic voice, the more I hear people use the word intention in their takeaways:
I’m going to be more intentional about my AI use.
Before we scale ourselves using AI, let’s be intentional about amplifying the best of our leadership and the best of our communication skills.
Mark Cuban recently said (and I’m paraphrasing), some people will use AI so that they don’t have to learn anything, while others will use AI so that they can learn everything.
How can we intentionally use AI to become better humans?
We have the tools to do this. We just need to make space for it, as we do with anything we are intentional about. My AI Authenticity Loop is one framework to help you.
The second word: Alignment
In writing my book, AI for the Authentic Leader, I became more aware of the alignment challenge: the need to program the right values into AI before AI shapes our behavior.
We’ve seen leadership alignment at the organizational level for years. Leaders on an executive team need to be in alignment on their policies and messaging.
When I worked with one prime minister and his cabinet, we realized they had never aligned together on the messages and priorities of the government. We started that process during our two days together.
And leaders also need personal alignment.
How aligned are you with your own values and beliefs?
As I study the science of believability, I see more and more how important our own internal alignment is in determining whether or not people believe us. When you’re blindly reading from talking points, nobody believes you.
When I work with leaders, they learn that authenticity is “speaking and acting in a way that reflects your core values.” What we’re really focused on is alignment: the intentional practice of ensuring your words, presence, and actions consistently embody your highest values and sense of purpose.
Done well, you earn the trust of others and inspire them to take action. Done poorly, you undermine your credibility and your results.
What does 100% intention look like?
Intention is one of my favorite concepts in communication.
Before you speak up in a meeting, respond to a colleague, or prepare for an important conversation, pause and breathe. Then speak with 100% intention.
When I teach this practice, I ask people to think about what it feels like to be on the receiving end of someone else’s full intention. You feel valued. You feel that the other person is actually there with you.
Now think about how your team feels when you communicate with them.
In this short video, I share how pausing, breathing, and speaking with 100% intention can help bring out your voice and energy at their best—not at your most nervous, distracted, or preoccupied.