Goal Setting for 2021

Did you achieve your goals in 2020? And, what have you learnt from 2020 that you will do less of, more of or, the same? How are you setting up your 2021 goals in relation to your personal leadership success plan? Had you considered that the SAL Report “Do Australian Leaders have what it takes” shows that Australian organisations are concerned about the state of leadership and management capability? You can take some insights from this and build them into your 2021 goals that include leadership success and really making a difference. Enjoy the discovery process through this article to ensure leadership and business success in 2021!

“Define Success on Your Own Terms, Achieve It by Your Own Rules, And Build a Life You’re Proud to Live.’ – Anne Sweeney, Walt Disney

What does Success mean to YOU?

In my blog “Set Yourself up for Success,” I highlight the most amazing, most wondrous thing about success: we all have a different definition of the word! So, what does success mean to you? This is important to know before setting your 2021 goals! To some people, success means dominating the corporate world, becoming filthy rich by age forty, or that you’ve raised really wonderful children. Your definition of success can be anything you want it to be as long as you’re ultimately happy and content with your life. My definition of success means significantly impacting others’ lives and making a difference. To me, significance to others refers to the positive changes you make to someone’s life as a result of your influence on them. If you’ve made a significant difference in someone’s life, no amount of money can beat that. So let’s take it one step further and say that it’s the pursuit of your own planned goals and desires that propels you toward success? I’ve read a lot about successful people and one characteristic that drives these people’s success is that they’re insanely goal-driven: goals are fundamental to success! There’s one more item that’s invariably connected to success: Your values. Your values will give you a strong indication of what is important to you and what success means to you.

So, what are your values? Don’t confuse goals for values. Think of your values as a foundation, and your goals as the house built on the foundation. For example, if you want to save money for a charity, that’s a goal, but what’s the value? You got it. Making a difference is the value. If you combine your values with the relentless pursuit of your goals (with a little imagination thrown in), you’re seriously going to be unstoppable! Okay, let’s fire up that brain one more time. What does success mean to you? Write it down! And, asindicated, an important foundation to success is values, so write out yours now!

The TOP Leadership Development Goals

In a October 2020 Business News Daily article by Skye Schooley,“10 Development Goals for Better Leadership,” it is shown that whether you are a natural-born leader or, have developed your leadership skills over time, there is always room for growth. One way to become a better leader is by setting leadership developmental goals. The goals you set should be geared toward improving your weaknesses and enhancing your leadership style. We spoke with a number of business owners and leadership experts to identify the top development goals every leader can work toward and here they are:

• Become an active listener
• Offer constructive feedback that facilitates growth
• Be adaptable to change and growth
• Improve your emotional intelligence (EQ or EI)
• Become more efficient 
• Build dynamic teams 
• Lead by example 
• Be a mentor
• Show appreciation, recognition and empathy for your team
• Be honest, transparent and accountable 

"Leaders are charged with having a vision, convincing others their vision is actionable and inspiring others to follow them," Hall-Duncan said. "No matter the size of the business, the ability to build a strong team, produce a good product or deliver a particular service, they all require strong leadership skills in order to successfully execute your business strategy." And, since employees often take cues from their leaders on how to act, strong leadership is at the base of every successful company.

A DIFFERENT approach to GOAL SETTING

Joan Michelson shows in Forbes how to “Think About 2021 Goal-Setting Differently.” This New Year is an opportunity to take a whole new perspective on who you want to be in 2021, on your career, and how you want to spend the next 12 months. To develop your 2021 goals, it may be tempting to just grab your 2020 goals, and update them, maybe changing a date or a title here and there. Try another way this time, especially after all the upheaval of 2020, because it gave each of us an opportunity – even forced us – to re-examine our goals, plans, careers, perspectives, relationships and priorities.

I suggest starting your 2021 goal-setting by first listing all your accomplishments in 2020 – and I do mean ALL of them, in every area of your life. Looking at the patterns and commonalities in these accomplishments will reveal where they are leading you. For example, ask yourself: What did you find yourself enjoying more this year than you expected to? What new skills did you learn or discover? What did people ask you to do – or pay you to do – differently than before? “Pay attention to the people around you, and listen to what they see in your career," is important. What people paid you to do, and how they introduced you to other people, can give you priceless insight into where people see your value. Here are some tips for developing new goals for 2021:

• Be specific and measurable for each one. That means, include amounts and dates, such as, “I’ll be promoted to the Director level and receive a $15,000 raise by June 30th 2021”
• Identify what Jack Canfield calls a “breakthrough” goal for 2021, which is, one that could catapult you to a new level financially or professionally 
• Describe how your life would change if you accomplished your breakthrough goal
• Choose 2021 goals for each area of your life: money/finances; career/business); health and fitness; relationships (all types); personal development; fun and recreation; and contribution or community goals, which might be volunteering or donating money, or in-kind services to those in need

“I would also encourage everyone to look out at your path, at your history and the things that you think don’t have anything to do with one another,” Joni Carswell, CEO of Texan By Nature (a non-profit started by former First Lady Laura Bush) told me. “And, use those things to innovate in your space.” “Because,” she added, “you have the single unique way of looking at a puzzle that no one else does.…Use those different ways that you’ve seen the world to solve problems.”

Create IMPACT with GOALS that include LEADERSHIP

Who would love to join me in 2021 to be a Leader for the future of work and also become verified in Empathy, Communication, Collaboration, Drive and Initiative from Veriskills. I am delivering a 20 week group and online program to build GREAT LEADERS starting in February. 

There is no other leadership course like this in Australia. Why? Want to do a real world course that you can use to get into or credit towards the University course you actually wanted as we issue micro-credentials accepted by QTAC.

After you complete our one on one or group coaching or 20 Weeks Online Public Leadership Essentials program in February 2021 you will be issued micro-credentials in –

• Initiative and Drive (Level 3)
• Communication (Level 3)
• Collaboration (Level 3)
• Empathy (Level 3)

What are you doing now to prepare your leadership, business and teams for 2021? Join our self-paced program today and online group program for 2021. Plus become a verified leader!

Who would love to join us in 2021 to be a Leader for the future of work and also become verified in Empathy, Communication, Collaboration, Drive and Initiative from Veriskills?

Click here to learn more about Veriskills?, and the Human Capability Framework.

This program and coaching will take your leadership skills to the next level!

Leadership isn’t easy and sometimes we need help. I am always here.

And, remember, Leadership starts from within, so grab my latest book FIRST COMES COURAGE!

Get in touch today to learn more about building leadership skills and set yourself up for success!

Stay Kind. Stay Courageous.

Sonia x