The Power of Goals

As leaders, in any position, our job is to constantly find ways to grow. The number one way I tell if a company is doing that is what kind of goals do they have.

In business if we're not growing, we're dying. Nothing stays the same. We're either getting better or worse.

The hard part about that is our number one job is to serve customers, to work in our business doing what brings dollars in the door.

And while everyone else is doing that, as a leadership team, we also have to constantly work on the business, finding new ways to serve customers.

The best way I see to do that are clear goals.

The first time you set them, you're not going to achieve most of them, and that's ok.

You have to start somewhere, and tracking quarterly goals will tell you what you need to do, who needs to do it, and how well you're doing.

I know it's business 101. It's nothing new. We all know we should have them.

And yet, you'd be amazed how many don't.

When I walk into any business, it's the first question I ask. If they're not there, the first thing I work on.

Your Big Goal

I did my doctoral work on implementing strategic projects, and I think I quoted the Cheshire cat in nearly every paper I wrote.

“One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. ‘Which road do I take?’ she asked. ‘Where do you want to go?’ was his response. ‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered. ‘Then,’ said the cat, ‘it doesn’t matter.”

Peter Drucker famously said "The best way to predict the future is to create it."

Just like a captain on a ship, as leaders, our first job is to determine the destination.

And throughout the journey, we have to make sure we're on course.

Otherwise, we risk sailing in circles, and nobody even realizes it.

It's why one of the most important goals you need to set is the long one.

And as long as you think out more than 8 or so years, the timeline isn't terribly important. You can go 10, 15, 20.

The key is that you need a long term goal to think about where you really want to go.

Most of the goals that you set will be focused on taking the next step to get you a little closer to where you want to go.

This big one is where they will all branch off of, and it takes some soul searching.

If you own your own business, is your dream to sell the business and retire? Is it to change the lives of a million people? Is it to leave a legacy to your children?

And don't be worried if it changes over time, figuring out who we are and what we want to do when we grow up is often a lifetime endeavor.

As you look, spend some time thinking about what you're best at, what people need, and what really brings you joy.

It's going to take a little soul searching, but it's worth it.

Your life is a journey, and you are the captain. Though you'll often end up far from where you imagined, choosing the direction to sail in is really important.

And a big goal is going to not only give you direction, but will be the wind that drives you forward.