This is a trait or cornerstone that I find it hard to teach. Some people have this Intensity as a natural trait, but others don’t even come close. For those where it doesn’t come natural, it is a trait that can be nurtured and improved, but it is not taught as much as it is experienced. I’ve been in highly competitive companies and high growth companies and Intensity is critical to those organization’s success.
Intensity is more than just speed, which I will talk about in the next section. It is an urgent atmosphere, where everyone in the organization takes their work VERY seriously. That doesn’t mean they don’t joke or have a good time, but it does mean that they have their “game face” on and they are in the “zone”. (Sorry for the sports analogy here!) Intensity does imply a competitive approach – always trying to get better. Always trying to get a competitive advantage over the competition. It also means having a mentality in the organization to work hard, many times putting in far more than 40 hours a week. It doesn’t mean everybody needs to work 60 hours a week all year long, but it does mean long hours by a lot of people during the year. Much like the sports team where the members spend more than the “required” time, they take extra effort that other people or teams don’t do – and because of that extra effort, they tend to be more successful.
Another not so obvious aspect of Intensity, which relates to Integrity is holding other team members accountable for their actions or inactions. Some people can be a bit timit or not like what they perceive as confrontation. But I assert that politely pointing out to someone that they missed a commitment or did something they shouldn’t have done shouldn’t be viewed as a confrontation. By politely and assertively taking these actions, you can maintain Intensity and accountability.