I Intend To…

I’ve recommended this practice to many executives. It reduces back-and-forth, speeds up decisions, and builds stronger ownership on the team.

The idea is simple: People stop asking for permission and instead say what they intend to do

In Turn the Ship Around!, Captain David Marquet inherited a submarine where the crew had been trained to wait for orders. Every action moved up the chain. To change this, he asked his officers to stop requesting permission and instead state their intention—along with the conditions that made the action safe.

"Captain, I intend to submerge the ship. We are in water we own, depth is four hundred feet, all men are below, and the ship is rigged for dive."

"Very well."

The crew shifted from passive followers to active leaders. They looked at the problem, chose a solution, and took responsibility for moving forward. All that was needed from Marquet was a simple affirmative.

When this becomes useful

This usually comes up when leaders see how much work still depends on them. They’re answering questions all day, approving small decisions, and trying to keep up with Slack.

You will notice a lack of ownership in phrases like:

• What should I do about…

• Do you think we could…

• Would it be alright if…

• I need your sign-off on…

This is disempowered language. It shows hesitation to assume ownership of scope, risk, or expectations, which shifts responsibility back to you.

How to change the dynamic

Ask your team to stop waiting for permission and instead declare what they intend to do.

1. Start with “I intend to…”

2. State the problem

3. Explain the solution they believe makes sense

4. Name the action they intend to take with a deadline for feedback (24–48 hours)

The deadline for feedback gives you space to course-correct while they’re learning to take ownership. However, the key part is that they proceed after the deadline even if you don’t reply.

Over time, this removes you as the bottleneck and helps your team develop real ownership.

How to introduce It

Frame it as an experiment:

“Let’s try this for two weeks. When you run into a decision and are unsure how to proceed, share your "I intend to…". Post the problem, the solution you believe makes sense, and what you intend to do. If you don’t hear back in 48 hours, move ahead.”

This works best in a public channel so others can give feedback and get the context, as well as see how it’s done.

What Changes

Leaders who have adopted this see these outcomes:

• People think through decisions before bringing them to you.

• Decisions move faster instead of sitting in your inbox.

• The team grows more confident and autonomous as they take ownership.

• And you get more time back for strategic work that only you can do.