Aarthi: It was not one dramatic moment. It was a pattern I kept seeing in organisations and in my coaching conversations. A leader would say, "But I meant well," even when the team had experienced the decision very differently. That sentence stayed with me. We often judge ourselves by what we intended, while everyone else experiences us through what we actually said, did or failed to do. Once we feel reassured by our intention, we may stop asking the harder question: What was the impact? That is the trap. Good intention can become a comfortable explanation that prevents honest reflection. The book began with my desire to examine that gap and help leaders move from self-assurance to self-awareness.

Frontlist: Why the Gurukul as your metaphor instead of a modern corporate case study?

Aarthi: I chose the Gurukul because the questions at the heart of leadership are older than the boardroom. How do we build character? How do we make difficult choices? What do we do when our values are tested? In the Gurukul, the disciples face practical dilemmas, and their learning comes through reflection, experience and guidance. Those same dilemmas appear in organisations today, only in different clothes. By moving from the Gurukul to the boardroom, I wanted to show that titles, technology and workplaces may change, but the inner work of leadership remains timeless. The metaphor also gave me a more human way to discuss values without turning the book into a collection of corporate case studies.

Frontlist: Of the six core pillars, which would you tell a leader to start with and why?

Aarthi: I would not give every leader the same starting point. All six ePEAKx values matter, but their order of importance changes with the person and the stage of leadership. A young leader may need Purpose to become clear about the what and why of their leadership. A seasoned leader may need to strengthen Keystone Leadership and understand how their presence affects the wider system. The most honest starting point is self-assessment. Look at all six values, identify where your behaviour is already strong and notice where the gap is greatest. Start there. Leadership development becomes meaningful when it responds to the person, rather than following a standard sequence.

Frontlist: You say transformation does not begin with new tactics; it begins with the self. How does a leader make that practical, not just philosophical?

Aarthi: It becomes practical when reflection changes a visible behaviour. A leader can begin by examining one recent decision or conversation: What did I intend? What did I actually do? How did the other person experience it? What evidence do I have of the impact? That simple review makes the inner work observable. The Intent Trap follows a clear progression: understand yourself, recognise the core values driving you, choose your behaviour more consciously and then examine the impact you create. When leaders understand their triggers, needs, assumptions and habitual responses, they can interrupt automatic behaviour. Transformation is not a grand declaration. It shows up in the next meeting, the next decision and the next conversation.

Frontlist: What early signs tell a leader the intent impact gap is opening in their team?

Aarthi: Silence is often one of the earliest signs. People stop questioning, offering ideas or bringing difficult information to the leader. You may also see poor coordination, repeated misunderstandings, missed commitments or a team that complies without genuine energy. Another sign is when the leader believes they have communicated clearly, but different people leave the room with different versions of the message. At an organisational level, the gap widens when leaders are not aligned on purpose and their teams receive conflicting signals. Leaders should pay attention not only to performance numbers, but also to hesitation, guarded conversations and what people no longer feel safe enough to say.

Frontlist: How does a leader tell a value they genuinely hold from one they just say they hold?

Aarthi: A value becomes real when it can be seen in behaviour, especially when living that value is inconvenient. Most leaders can say they value adaptability. The real question is whether they remain open to learning, revise a view when new information appears and adjust their response to the situation. In ePEAKx, Adaptability is expressed through a Permanent Beta Mindset and Situational Agility. Those behaviours make the value observable. The same principle applies to every value in the book. If a value appears only in a presentation or on a wall, it is an aspiration. When it consistently shapes choices, conversations and actions, it has become part of the leader.

Frontlist: Was there a personal experience, even a failure, that shaped this book?

Aarthi: Yes. The book grew from my own experiences as much as from my work with leaders. I have seen situations where I believed my intention was clear, only to realise that the other person had experienced my behaviour differently. My coaching conversations revealed the same pattern: thoughtful and capable leaders were sometimes surprised by the impact they created. Those moments made me curious rather than judgmental. Why do intelligent people miss what their behaviour is communicating? The ePEAKx values emerged from that mix of lived experience, coaching patterns and research into what leadership needs today. The book does not come from a position of perfection. It comes from observation, questioning and the willingness to look again.

Frontlist: If a reader does one thing differently tomorrow morning, what should it be?

Aarthi: Pause before defending your intention. Choose one recent interaction and ask, "What did I hope to create, and what did the other person actually experience?" Then listen to the answer without explaining yourself. That small act of honest curiosity can reveal more than a long leadership programme. Awareness begins when we stop treating intention as proof of impact.

Frontlist: Leaders today are navigating constant change, AI, hybrid teams and shifting markets. Does the intent impact gap get wider or narrower in times like this?

Aarthi: It can become much wider. Change increases speed, pressure and uncertainty, which means leaders communicate quickly and assume others have understood them. In hybrid teams, they also lose many of the informal cues that once helped them notice confusion or discomfort. AI adds another layer: decisions may become faster, but trust, judgement and accountability still belong to people. In this environment, leaders cannot rely on intention or efficiency alone. They need to check understanding, invite dissent and look closely at how decisions are being experienced. Used thoughtfully, technology can improve clarity and connection. Used without awareness, it can scale the gap between what a leader meant and what people felt.

Frontlist: What is one thing you had to unlearn about leadership before you could write this book?

Aarthi: I had to unlearn the belief that knowing the right thing and wanting the right outcome were enough. They are not. A leader may have experience, expertise and sincere intentions, yet still create confusion, fear or disengagement through their behaviour. I also had to let go of the idea that leadership is something we master once and then carry confidently. It asks us to keep noticing ourselves, particularly when we are certain we are right. Writing this book required me to examine my own intent impact gaps too. That made the book more honest, because I was not writing about a problem that belonged only to other leaders.