By Sarah Nicastro, Founder and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service
In last week’s episode of UNSCRIPTED, I had the privilege of welcoming back Eduardo Bonefont, the former Worldwide Vice President of Technical Services at BD, to talk about the concept of intentional leadership. As someone who’s witnessed Eduardo’s commitment to leadership firsthand—both on the podcast and at industry events—I was eager to delve into his philosophy on mastering presence, setting boundaries, and creating a meaningful legacy through what he calls the “unfinished portfolio.”
Eduardo’s first appearance on the podcast was in episode 139, called “Slowing Down to Speed Up,” and it’s a discussion I still reference 200 episodes later. Last year Eduardo retired from BD and I knew he’d bring with him new insights having recently navigated that experience. He delivered by offering a collection of advice for how to embrace the opportunity of more intentional leadership – whether you’re at the height of your career or approaching retirement.
Eduardo began by clarifying what it means to be an intentional leader, emphasizing that it’s about “leading with purpose.” He explained, “Reactive leaders can no longer survive in today’s environment. Everything moves too fast. An intentional leader is defined by the conscious and strategic allocation of our most finite resources: time and energy.” Being intentional begins with a mindset, but for Eduardo it continues into an operating model for leadership that rests on three pillars: presence, strategy, and legacy.
#1: Master Presence
“Presence required me to shut out distractions to be fully invested in the critical moments that build trust and drive your cultures,” he shared. When I asked Eduardo about practical steps for ensuring full attention in critical moments, he was unequivocal: “The need for a leader to be present is not a soft skill you can develop. It is the foundation of effective communications and team culture.”
He advocates for leaders to “aggressively defend [their] focus,” modeling behavior by removing distractions, insisting on laptops being put away and video cameras turned on during virtual meetings. “Presence means listening with your eyes as much as your ears,” he said, “and your behavior sets a standard for the entire organization.” Eduardo’s advice is clear: “A leader’s most important responsibility is to model focus and respect for the team’s time. If you are distracted, the meeting’s value is instantly out, effectively wasting the time of everyone in that room.”
#2: Set Boundaries to Protect Time and Capacity
Eduardo emphasized that “the freedom to pursue the high-impact work of intentional leadership is not found; you have to manufacture that time.” He advocates for leaders to view their calendars as budgets, blocking out time for strategic thought and learning to “master the art of saying no.”
He explained, “If a request does not significantly advance your organization’s vision, it should be deferred, delegated, or declined.” Delegation, though challenging, is an opportunity to develop talent and free up time for visionary work. “Setting those boundaries to force deep working time is what enables you stop being a full-time operator and instead become a full-time architect on impact vision,” he advised.
#3: Prioritize Emotional Consistency
Eduardo also stresses the importance of emotional consistency, which he described as a strategic tool. He says, “the leader’s mood sets the tone for the entire team and the organization” and believes that consistency in emotion fosters trust and predictability, allowing teams to focus on execution rather than worrying about a leader’s reaction.
“Emotional consistency doesn’t mean you have to be robotic in your emotions… The power of expressing authentic emotion is very important,” he clarified. Eduardo stressed that authenticity, paired with deliberate emotional management, helps leaders inspire and energize their teams, driving them toward shared goals.
#4: Develop A Personal Operating Model
Turning vision into reality can be a real hurdle for leaders. Eduardo shared he’s adopted his personal model: “Think big, start small, move fast,” from a concept used by innovative organizations like Amazon and the Mayo Clinic.
He’s added his own twist, accepting risk, as a critical fourth principle. “Think big is about setting clear, disruptive vision. Start small is about prototyping and testing quickly to validate assumptions. Move fast is about maintaining velocity to outpace your industry… Accepting risk is about building a culture that tolerates failure as necessary input for breakthrough process,” he shares. He cautioned, however, that these principles must not compromise integrity or quality, reinforcing the need for boundaries even in bold innovation.
#5: Combat Complacency with Annual Rituals and Regular Team Engagement
Eduardo is adamant that “the status quo is almost always the enemy of the intentional leader.” He fights complacency through an annual ritual of performance reengineering, where he carves out time to really reflect on the question: “How am I going to significantly improve my personal and team performance for the prior year?”
He recommends a reflective period after the holidays to do this work of assessing what worked and what needs to change, as well as using cadenced one-on-one meetings not only as a routine touch-base but as strategic workshops focused on gathering feedback and identifying new opportunities. “Ample inspiration lies within your team. In your one-on-ones, get the updates – sure,” he says. “But go beyond the update and focus on two things: what feedback does the individual have, and what is their take on the biggest whitespace opportunities? This sets up some great discussions and makes the team accountable for innovation.”
#6: Consider Your Legacy
One of the most powerful concepts Eduardo introduced is the “unfinished portfolio”—the impactful contributions an individual leader is uniquely qualified to make. As retirement approached for him, he shifted his focus from monetary accumulation to the legacy contribution he’d have on his organization. For him, this led to taking more risks, coaching more, and setting bolder strategies, all with the goal of driving high-impact change to uplifts other and set a lasting example and to leave with no regrets.
When asked to share one final takeaway, Eduardo said, “Don’t let your expertise sit idle. Enjoy what you do and encourage others to do the same. Be the one who proactively brings the best version of your experience to bear the maximum positive impact.” He believes that this proactive approach not only drives purpose and experience but also creates lasting connections—“relationships that you’ve built over the years that continue to the future.”