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Key Takeaways Why many leaders struggle with goal setting in uncertain times and what that hesitation reveals about how companies actually operate.
A proven leadership mindset for building focus, alignment and momentum as businesses plan for the year ahead.
I believe setting goals should be as automatic in the new year as turning the page on a calendar, yet I’m always surprised by how many CEOs don’t do it at all. Goals are the roadmap for a company’s journey, and without one, it’s hard to understand how leaders expect to arrive anywhere meaningful.
In my experience, leaders who avoid goal setting usually fall into one of two camps: they don’t have a clear process, or they feel paralyzed by economic uncertainty. But difficult conditions make direction more important, not less. When the seas are rough, you don’t abandon the map — you rely on it.
Related: 3 Startup Success Secrets Learned on a 40-Year Journey From Go-For to Billionaire
Goal setting 101
Goal setting isn’t static. Even with a strategy in place, business today requires constant adjustment. What some call herding cats, I simply call a normal Tuesday.
Our approach is straightforward: we maintain a one-year plan and a three-year plan, both revisited midway through the year to assess what’s working and what needs recalibration. Each plan includes no more than three primary goals. Fewer than three lacks focus; more than three turns strategy into a cluttered to-do list.
Those goals must be challenging, specific and measurable. “Double our revenue” is a goal. “Increase revenue” is not. We aim for what we call BHAGs — Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals — because they force the organization to stretch. If a brand grows from five locations to 50 instead of 100, that’s still meaningful progress. Playing it safe may allow you to claim success, but it rarely leads to real growth.
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