a novice question

[yutyeesam]

Is doing movements with strong intent the same as leading the qi?

[miscjinx]

The mind leads the qi.

Intent is one of the keys to the process.

[Ky-Fi]

Strong intent is the same as the mind leading the qi, as I understand it. Keeping a "sense of enemy" when doing forms has been stressed a lot to me. And your intent may vary, depending on whether the qigong you're doing is martial or health oriented.

On the other hand, you have to be careful about going too far in the other direction: if you focus TOO much on leading the qi, it can actually hinder the process. One thing my teacher has said that I think sums it up well is "qi is like a bull with a ring through its nose---it can't be pushed, but it can be led."