Community Highlights: Meet Christina Howard of Intently

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Howard.

Hi Christina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
For much of my career, I did what many capable, driven people do – I said yes, carried a lot, and did my best to do it well. I worked in senior leadership roles, partnered with meaningful organizations, and built a life that looked successful from the outside. And in many ways, it was.

What I didn’t see right away was how often I was pushing past myself in the name of responsibility, loyalty, and getting things done. I was effective, but frequently tired. I didn’t need more ambition or discipline – I needed a different relationship with myself. I rarely paused long enough to ask whether the way I was working actually matched the life I wanted. From the outside, things looked solid. Inside, I was often tired in a way that sleep didn’t fix.

The real shift began on a vacation to Europe. I finally had space – real space – to think. I was watching how people lived and worked, how much presence there was in everyday moments, and it made me reflect. I remember thinking, There are other ways to build a life and still contribute at a high level – I could be driven and deeply fulfilled – if I chose it. That insight stayed with me when I came home – and instead of letting life get in the way, I acted on it.

I began reshaping my work around what I was genuinely passionate about: helping capable, driven people lead without constantly overriding themselves while still creating impressive results for their teams and their own lives. I took a risk, trusted my instincts, and turned my last employer into my first coaching client. That decision changed the trajectory of both my work and my life.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of leaders who care deeply – about their people, their values, and the kind of cultures they’re creating. They’re not trying to become someone else; they’re trying to come home to their own voice and vision and lead from there.

These days, some of my clearest reminders come from intentional, yet small moments – walking my senior dog, who has dementia, or spending time with my son. They’re daily practices (practically included in my calendar) to slow down, pay attention, and remember what actually matters. That perspective is woven into everything I do now, including The Wisdom Lab – a space for leaders to build clarity, capacity, and alignment so success doesn’t come at the expense of themselves or the people they lead. It’s a place for high performers to slow down just enough to listen, recalibrate, and lead in a way that actually fits who they are now – not who they learned to be to succeed.

In many ways, this work isn’t about reinvention. It’s about remembering and choosing, again and again, to live and lead with intention and alignment.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road at all – and I don’t think meaningful work usually is – it’s important to me to have truth in my work and to help solve a problem.

One of the biggest challenges has been trusting my own internal voice in a world that often rewards constant output and external validation. Early on, I had to unlearn the belief that working harder or saying yes more often was the same as being valuable. That took time, and a fair amount of humility.

There were also practical challenges. Building something of your own requires patience, discernment, and the willingness to make decisions without a guaranteed outcome. I had to get comfortable with uncertainty, learn how to set clearer boundaries, and resist the pull to overextend myself – especially when the work mattered and people were counting on me. I still work on some of these things

Perhaps the most subtle struggle was learning to let my work evolve. The leaders I serve don’t need fixing – they needed space, clarity, and permission to lead in a more human way. Holding that line, especially in more traditional environments, required steadiness and confidence.

And of course, along the last several years, life has thrown some pretty intense curveballs, completely unexpected events that typically any one of them could have and would have knocked a lot of people down – because of this work – I’ve been able to maintain capacity and capability – though, I too, have also dipped in capacity at times. Through intention and constant practice, I’ve been able to overcome pretty intense life altering experiences and for that I am very grateful.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Intently?
Intently is a leadership development and executive coaching practice built for high-achieving leaders who care deeply about both results and people. We work with individuals and organizations who are successful by most measures and who sense there’s a more sustainable, human way to lead.

I specialize in helping leaders strengthen their inner clarity so their external leadership becomes more grounded, confident, and effective. Much of my work focuses on voice – how leaders communicate, make decisions, set boundaries, and show up when the pressure is real – and stay in alignment to their values and culture. When leaders are aligned internally, they don’t just perform better; they create cultures where trust, accountability, and engagement can actually take root and multiply effortlessly into the business.

What sets Intently apart is that we don’t separate performance from well-being. We treat emotional intelligence, energy management, and self-awareness as core leadership skills – not soft add-ons. The work is practical, evidence-informed, and deeply human. Leaders leave with insight they can apply immediately, not just inspiration they feel for a day. This leads to better decision making, less conflict and internal noise, and an increase in speed for clarity and results.

Our flagship offering, The Wisdom Lab, brings this approach into a structured, immersive experience for leaders who want to grow in a way that’s both rigorous and reflective. It supports leaders in aligning their actions with their values, strengthening their capacity to lead others, and building people-first cultures without losing momentum or excellence.

Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is the trust. Leaders come to this work not because something is broken, but because they want to lead with integrity, clarity, and longevity. If there’s one thing I want readers to know, it’s this: Intently exists to help leaders create success that holds up over time – on paper, in culture, and in their own lives. It’s for leaders who are driven to deepen their impact, connection and relationships to their team, clients and community.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Well there are so many – I research and read constantly – some of my “go to’s” are Hidden Brain, Modern Wisdom and anything Ester Perel puts out – as well as “The One Thing” My books run from psychology to coaching to philosophical and there have been many over the years that have informed my thinking and approach to life and leadership.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.intentlyco.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-howard/
• Other: https://home.thewisdomlab.org/