Manila, 23 January 2025 — Without intensity in your team, leadership growth and client results will stall. 

Story

It happened this week. I caught up with Lei, a good friend who is the co-founder and executive of an AI startup. Our leadership learning journeys have touched for almost a decade, and we always find new challenges to discuss.

This time Lei shared how she, as a Millennial executive, found herself challenged to keep her Gen Z team members consistently focused and on target to deliver in their work. She mentioned the ‘intensity’ she was looking for in her team. 

As I listened, some related concepts floated up, like showing up, willpower, habits, discipline, grit, and consistency. All of them essential to leaders and leadership. However, we focused on intensity.

Challenge

Intensity is about a mindset that shows up in specific behaviors, the ones that Lei was specifically looking for. The intensity to work hard, to go the extra mile, and to deliver solutions and results on time for the client. 

Leaders who, like Lei, have taken our Work In All Colors course will recognize that intensity is about embracing the ORANGE value meme and corresponding leadership style. In our coaching, this is a challenge that we encounter in many, but not all, leaders we work with. Some excel naturally in other styles. 

Like Lei herself, many leaders have already developed this ORANGE muscle of intensity by the time they start coaching with us. For others, however, we offer them challenges to build this muscle, with the accountability of working with their coach and colleagues. 

Question

Lei’s quest for a team with ORANGE intensity applies to many leaders and their teams. While effective leadership involves learning to work in seven distinct styles, the ORANGE style of intensity will consistently deliver results. We can’t expect success without showing this intensity. How will you do it with your team?

Teams of leaders cannot avoid learning and practicing to show up with ORANGE intensity, single-minded, focused, deliberate, persistent, disciplined, and gritty. They learn how to pursue the challenge in front of them until they crack it, and, as a bonus, they often experience a transformation in the process.

When executive coach Marshall Goldsmith talks about two kinds of clients, those who do the work, and those who don’t, he is referring to the challenge of imbuing yourself and your team with ORANGE intensity. This is an integral part of our coaching work with individual leaders, teams of leaders, and Collabs in our Grow3Leaders community of practice.

P.S. Come and discover for yourself how showing up to grow your and your team’s leadership with ORANGE intensity will get you results that exceed your expectations. Please set up a free strategy call so we can discuss where you and your team are at.