The 10 Principles of Intentional Intelligence

As I spent time thinking of ways to present ways of working with Generative AI, I had a few convictions.

First and foremost, I still wanted to move project managers out of bureaucracy into leadership.

And in the world of GenAI, that is still my goal.

GenAI can help you make that shift.

It alone, can't do it. But if you use GenAI, well, differently, I believe it can move you in that direction.

But to be honest, it is not the mover. You are.

You are the driver.

And that is why I call this "Intentional" Intelligence.

It is not passive. It is purposeful.

Over the next weeks, I will be writing about these principles.

And with each I will be giving you a short prompt to use.

I don't imagine these prompts will change your world. But I want to give you tools. And tools to re-think how you have been using GenAI. I hope that something clicks along the way.

You may notice that these principles are not exactly new.

In fact, I took a lot of the current project management principles out there and I repackaged them. But they are now focused in that one direction: Intentional Intelligence.

1. Intentional Leadership 

Choosing where to focus your energy and leading with purpose rather than reacting to circumstances. It's about proactive decision-making and taking ownership of outcomes.

2. Value Creation 

Delivering measurable results that matter to stakeholders, not just completing tasks. Quality means alignment with real needs, not perfection.

3. Strategic Stakeholder Engagement 

Building consensus and creating alignment across diverse interests by understanding stakeholder behaviors, motivations, and concerns.

4. Adaptive Thinking 

Customizing your approach to fit the unique context of each project rather than rigidly following a single methodology. Embracing change as opportunity.

5. Context Awareness 

Understanding how your project fits within the larger organizational ecosystem and recognizing the interconnections that influence outcomes.

6. Risk Intelligence 

Anticipating potential issues before they become problems and making informed decisions that account for uncertainty.

7. Team Empowerment 

Creating an environment where team members take ownership, innovate, and contribute their best work through trust and collaboration.

8. Cognitive Efficiency 

Offloading routine mental tasks to preserve your cognitive capacity for strategic thinking, creativity, and leadership.

9. Continuous Learning 

Maintaining curiosity and developing new capabilities as a regular practice, not a one-time event.

10. Ethical Practice 

Making decisions with integrity, transparency, and respect for people and data. Leading with accountability in everything you do.

Which one of these resonates with you?

Get Intentional,

Paul