A business without goals can run the risk of becoming aimless and unsuccessful. As a leader, you can make yourself and your business successful by setting quality goals that push you outside your comfort zone and challenge your skills.
When it comes to taking action to achieve these goals, it is crucial to lead by example to your employees. Modeling this positive behavior can help them improve as they work toward their goals and the company’s goals. To get you started, eight members of Council for Young Entrepreneurs discuss some of the actions leaders can take to achieve their goals while modeling exemplary behavior for their employees.
Members of the Young Entrepreneur Council discuss how to be a good role model when it comes to achieving goals.
Photos courtesy of individual members.
1. Organize a meeting to set goals
Make it a tradition to organize a meeting or event with your team where you set goals, where you share the company goals and your own personal goals. This will help your team understand where everyone is going together and how they can individually set goals to be a part of. It is also important during this conversation to explain what your “why” is behind the goals and how you plan to get there as a leader. Using this time to coach people on the best strategies and habits to make goals achievable is empowering. This activity alone will demonstrate your commitment to the process, for them as individuals and for the company as a whole. – Megan Marsh, CoLAB Loans
2. Have high expectations of yourself
The best way to prepare yourself for success is to set ambitious goals. Big goals lead to big results and stretch what we think is possible. Unlike ambiguous goals like “do your best,” these goals need to be specific and measurable. They also need to be backed up with a clear plan and strategy to keep you on track. Of course, you should leave room to run, but make sure that you are always fully committed to keeping your performance levels high. By setting high expectations for you and your employees, you also motivate your team members to leave their comfort zone to discover their true potential. This is the best way for them to learn the value of teamwork and discover their individual skills and talents. – John Lie Nielsen, One Park Financial
3. Find a Responsibility Partner
As leaders, we can set many goals and have great plans. However, as a leader of a company, it can be a lack of accountability. Find a colleague or someone you know who can hold you accountable. Then share your goals, timelines, and plan with them so you both know what needs to be done. Have a monthly or quarterly meeting to check in and account for what you accomplished or what you didn’t do. That person will push you to stay on track and help you be more focused on your goals. For things you haven’t accomplished, explain to them why and what you will be doing over the next month to stay on track. Accountability partners have been so wonderful to me and my company. – Kyle Clayton, Team Clayton from RE/MAX Professionals
4. Find your ‘why’
Determining why you want to achieve certain goals and what it takes to achieve them is critical to success. Many leaders set goals, but the intent behind them can often be misleading or set without a real goal. Understanding why you want to achieve something will not only help you visualize what needs to be done to make it happen, but it will also help those around you understand how they can best contribute and support you. Giving direction without sharing your vision and reason for doing it can lead to confusion, doubt and a lack of motivation. – Oriana Papin-Zoghbic, AOA Dx Inc.
5. Define a clear vision
You can prepare yourself for success before you ever start by having a clear vision of what you want to achieve and making sure you use your time wisely. I believe having a clear goal and vision helps you achieve them smoothly. For example, if your goal is to make more money, make sure you do the work that leads to that goal, rather than doing things that don’t lead to the desired outcome. You also need to remember that it’s not just about your success; it’s about the success of your employees. Showing that you believe in your employees and care about their success leads to increased productivity because people are more likely to give their best for someone who cares about them. – Vikas Agrawal, Infobrandz
6. Align Your Goals With Your Core Values
The most important thing you can do as a leader to prepare yourself for success when it comes to achieving your goals is to ensure that your goals and the habits you cultivate to achieve them align with your core values. Let your values serve as your guide to make sure you plan the time well to work on the habits that will get you where you want to go. And let them be your filter too for knowing when to say “no” to being dragged in other directions. With consistency, your habits are what enables you to achieve your goals, while also setting an example for your employees along the way. – David Henzel, Job station
7. Be realistic
I’ve found that the best way to prepare yourself for success is to manage expectations effectively. A mentor once shared the advice, “It takes twice as long and twice as much money to achieve half as much as you think you can.” When you set expectations with this in mind, you can work towards big goals while having a realistic expectation of results along the way. Most people become discouraged when they feel they are not achieving what they are capable of. Rephrasing expectations in this way never gets to that point of discouragement. – Arian Radmand, IgnitePost
8. Break Goals Down Into Smaller Steps
Big goals can seem insurmountable and difficult. Yet they are not. If you know the small steps that add up, whether you’re migrating a website for a client or planning a charity event, you can organize them. Program check-ins using your phone, a journal, or your computer calendar. Having memories can go a long way towards achieving great goals. Some apps even offer positive reinforcement if you want to gamify the process. If that doesn’t work, find other ways to reward yourself for completing those steps. – Duran Incic, Optimal7
