The Good
This week, Peter was traveling from Boston to Ohio, but the weather had other plans. Travel became too risky, so Peter and our client agreed to reschedule the meeting, prioritizing safety over schedule.
With the change in plans, Peter needed to adjust his accommodations. When he called the hotel, he explained the situation and asked if there would be a cancellation fee. The hotel representative responded with empathy and ownership: “You can’t make it? Of course, we won’t charge you!”
The representative didn’t just stop there—they actively made the necessary changes to Peter’s reservation without hesitation. This experience reflects an important principle of Intent-Based Leadership: “Create clarity, then give control.”
The hotel’s leadership clearly authorizes their team to make customer-focused decisions without rigid approval processes. By trusting their employees to act in the best interest of the guest, they turned a potentially frustrating situation into a moment of exceptional service.
How might you create this kind of clarity and trust in your team?
The Bad
After a long flight, Peter finally made it to the car rental kiosk. It was 10 p.m., and all he wanted was to grab his keys and head to the hotel. But as he approached the counter, the representative barely looked up, held out his hand, and barked, “Go away! We have no cars!”
No apology, no explanation—just a cold dismissal. Peter was left standing there, tired and frustrated, wondering why his reservation seemed to mean nothing.
Now, imagine this moment handled differently.
Instead of shutting him down, the representative could have smiled and said, “Hi, Peter. I see you’ve had a long day. I need to let you know we’ve run into an issue with cars tonight, but let’s figure out how to make this right for you.”
With that simple shift, the tone changes. Peter feels seen and supported, and the conversation opens the door to solutions—whether it’s arranging alternate transportation, finding a nearby car, or offering an upgrade later.
This is the power of Intent-Based Leadership. When people take ownership and lead with clarity and care, even a bad situation can leave a good impression.
So here’s the question: In moments of frustration, how can we create clarity, own the problem, and turn it around?