Intent-Based Leadership: The Leader-Leader Model

The mental model

A traditional leader-follower structure treats the leader as the brain and the team as the hands. The leader-leader model, born from Intent-Based Leadership, aims to have everyone on the team think and act like a leader. The fundamental shift is from team members asking “May I?” to them declaring “I intend to…”. This moves the organization from a default of stasis (waiting for approval) to a default of action (proceeding unless vetoed).

How it works

The model is built on a specific use of language. Senior leaders are responsible for clearly communicating the organizational intent—the 'what' and 'why'. Team members are then responsible for figuring out the 'how'. They vocalize their plan with the phrase “I intend to…”. This statement gives the leader a chance to veto a bad plan but places the ownership and cognitive load of planning onto the team member. The goal is to get everyone operating at this level of initiative, which is called “striving for five” on the Ladder of Leadership.

When to use it

Use this model in complex, high-stakes environments where a single leader acting as a bottleneck is inefficient or dangerous. It is effective when you need to unlock the full cognitive potential of your team, increase decision-making speed, and foster a deep sense of ownership and engagement. It thrives where distributed decision-making provides a clear advantage over centralized command.

When not to use it

This model fails if the team lacks the technical competence or psychological safety to propose and execute plans. It also creates chaos if the leader fails to provide clear, consistent organizational intent. Without a clear goal to align to, distributed action becomes uncoordinated action. It requires a foundation of trust and clarity that a leader must build first.

One canonical example

On the nuclear submarine USS Santa Fe, Commander David Marquet realized that the leader-follower model was dangerous during a drill. A single point of command created bottlenecks and disengaged the crew. He implemented Intent-Based Leadership, pushing his crew to declare their intent rather than request permission. This transformed the organization into a leader-leader model where everyone felt responsible for the sub's success, dramatically improving performance.