Have you ever spent 18 hours straight in a car with your family? If your first instinct is to cringe and reach for a bottle of aspirin, I totally get it. Usually, “18-hour road trip” sounds like a recipe for a breakdown (either the mechanical or the emotional kind). But looking back on a memorable week, as I watched the sunrise hit the trees along the Interstate while my girls actually behaved (a miracle, I know), I realized something massive.
The road isn’t just a way to get from Point A to Point B. It’s a mirror.
As your “Intentionality Coach” and a retired Navy Chief, I’ve spent a lot of my life moving. Deployments, PCS moves, mission-critical transit: I’ve done the miles. But there’s a huge difference between moving and arriving. Most leaders spend their entire careers in a state of high-speed “drift,” moving fast but never really feeling like they’ve arrived at the life they actually wanted to build.
This week’s de-brief is about how that 18-hour haul from Texas to Florida became a masterclass in Intentional Leadership. Grab a coffee (or a Buc-ee’s Beaver Nugget), and let’s dive into why your schedule isn’t the problem: your alignment is.
Be Where Your Feet Are (Even When They’re on the Gas Pedal)
We started the trek early. I’m talking “on the road with the sunrise” early. We had the water, the trees, the open Interstate, and a long, long way to go. The goal? Travel to Florida to see Lolo and Lola in Jacksonville, then head down to Orlando.
On a trip that long, it’s easy to check out. You put on a podcast, zone out, and just wait for the GPS to hit zero. But the mantra for this trip was simple: Be where your feet are.
In leadership, we call this presence. How many times have you been in a meeting but you’re actually thinking about the three emails you haven’t sent? Or worse, how many times have you been at the dinner table with your family but your mind is still in the boardroom?
Creating memories isn’t about the grand gestures; it’s about being mentally present in the mundane. It’s enjoying the Chick-fil-A lunch stop because the girls are actually smiling. It’s taking “awesome” photos at Buc-ee’s (if you know, you know: that place is a Texas-sized fever dream) because those are the moments that stick.
Time: The Great Excuse vs. The Great Motivator
During one of those days, the pace shifted. Between the fun stops, there was real-life “Chief” stuff to handle. I had to sit down with my parents to sign documents: Living Wills, Power of Attorney, the heavy stuff. We needed medication lists. We needed a plan.
At the same time, the business didn’t stop. I had GoPod calls and WarRoom calls. I had to schedule emails to local companies back in San Antonio.
I hear leaders say all the time, “I just don’t have enough time to be a great leader AND a great dad/son/husband.”
Here’s a truth bomb: Time should not be an excuse. It should be a motivator.
When you realize that time is a finite resource: especially when you’re looking at a Living Will for your parents or watching your daughters grow up in the blink of an eye: you stop “spending” time and start “investing” it.
The difference between a leader who is drowning and a leader who is winning is Intentionality. It’s the ability to pivot from a high-level business strategy call to helping your wife win rubber duckies for the girls’ bath time without losing your mind.
The I-IMPACT Framework: The Intentionality Pillar
At Genuines Coaching & Consulting, we use the I-IMPACT Brief to help leaders escape the drift. This week, the spotlight is firmly on the first ‘I’: Intent (Alignment of actions with values).
If you value family but your actions only show a commitment to your bottom line, you aren’t an intentional leader; you’re a hypocrite in a nice suit. (Harsh? Maybe. But I’m a Chief; I call it like I see it.)
Intentionality is the filter. It’s the “Decision-Filter Matrix” in action.
- Step 1: Organize. We had the route mapped, the stops planned, and the business calls scheduled.
- Step 2: Plan. Knowing when to stop for Buc-ee’s snacks meant the girls stayed happy, which meant I could focus on my parents’ legal docs later.
- Step 3: Perform. When it was time to play at the splash pad in Orlando, I wasn’t on my phone. I was watching my youngest’s contagious laugh and my oldest’s getting fixated on a squishy animal.
When your actions align with your values, the “work-life balance” myth disappears and is replaced by work-life harmony. Harmony doesn’t mean everything is equal; it means everything sounds good together.
The Problem: The High Cost of the “Drift”
Most leaders I coach are suffering from what I call “The Drift.” You’re successful, sure. You’re making money. But you feel like you’re just a passenger in your own life. You’re reacting to the road instead of driving the car.
The Quantified Problem:
If you stay in the drift, you don’t just lose time. You lose:
- Connection: Your kids stop looking for your approval because you’re never “there” anyway.
- Clarity: Your business decisions become reactive instead of strategic.
- Legacy: You build a bank account, but you don’t build a story worth telling.
I almost missed the splash pad moment because I was worried about a call with someone that needed rescheduling. I had to catch myself. I had to “Be where my feet are.” Once I did, I got those “great photos” of the girls looking happy (and a little cold!). Those photos are the ROI of my life.
The Solution: The Intentional Reset
So, how do you move from the 18-hour drift to 18-hour clarity?
- Audit your “Fuel”: Use the Motivational Fuel Framework. Why are you driving so hard? If the ‘Why’ isn’t big enough, the ‘Win’ won’t feel like anything.
- Use the OPP Model: Organize your chaos, Plan your intentional moments, and then Perform with 100% presence.
- Schedule your “Buc-ee’s”: You need pit stops. You need moments of joy that have nothing to do with KPIs.
Reflective Interaction: Where are your feet?
I want you to take a second: right now: and look at your calendar for the next 48 hours.
- How many of those blocks are “drift” activities (stuff you’re doing just because you’ve always done it)?
- How many are “intentional” moments (stuff that aligns with your legacy)?
If the “drift” is winning, it’s time to pull over and recalibrate.
Your Leadership Reset Starts Now
Look, I know it’s hard. Being an executive, a business owner, and a present parent is like trying to drive 18 hours without a GPS. But you don’t have to do it alone.
On April 1st, we are hosting the Leadership Reset. This isn’t just another “rah-rah” seminar. It’s a tactical, grounded session for high-performers who are ready to lead themselves before they lead anyone else. We’re going to tear down the drift and build a legacy based on intentionality.
Want to join us?
- Apply to join as a guest: Click here to secure your spot
- Think you have a story that needs to be heard? Apply to speak at a future Leadership Reset: Click here to apply
Not ready for the full event but know you need a change? Let’s start with a conversation.
- Book a Clarity Call: https://calendar.app.google/n6cjzGVrvhfitNKw9
- Take the Alignment Assessment: See exactly where you’re drifting: https://alignmentassessment.lovable.app
Stop making time an excuse. Start making it your motivator. I’ll see you on the road.
Stay Genuine,
Reden Dionisio
The Intentionality Coach | Genuines Coaching & Consulting LLC
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