What’s Your Method for Setting and Achieving Ambitious Goals as a Leader?
To help you achieve success through effective goal-setting, we asked CEOs and marketing managers this question for their best techniques. From conducting a life audit to utilizing OKRs for clarity, here are the top seven strategies these leaders shared on goal-setting.
- Conduct a Life Audit
- Set Micro-Goals for Success
- Implement SMART Goals
- Share Goals for Accountability
- Visualize the End Result
- Journal Daily for Focus
- Utilize OKRs for Clarity
Conduct a Life Audit
As a 3x entrepreneur, corporate-executive leader, author, public speaker, Ironman triathlete, husband, and father, if I didn’t set goals and lay out a path to achieve them, I’d never get anywhere. There’s a simple method I use that I’ll call YMWD, though I recognize that’s a horrendous acronym.
First, every year on my birthday, I do a life audit. I reflect on what I’ve accomplished over the past year and set 1-2 goals for the next year in each of 6 different categories:
- Career
- Financial
- Fitness/Health
- Social/Relationship
- Intellectual
- Spiritual
Next, at the beginning of every month, I look at my yearly goals and set achievable targets for that month. I write down those targets. I then take those monthly targets and break them down into four weekly goals that I commit to achieving.
I begin each day by selecting which of my weekly goals I want to accomplish that day. I then time-block my calendar to ensure that I can accomplish each of those things.
I’ve been using this method for years. It is the core practice that leads people to ask me how I can be so productive and do so many different things. Now you know my secret.
Jeff Matlow
3x Entrepreneur, Executive Coach to C-Suite, By Title Only – Executive Coaching
Set Micro-Goals for Success
One goal-setting technique that has profoundly impacted my success as a founder is the practice of “micro-goals.” Early in my career, I realized that while having long-term visions is essential, breaking them down into smaller, actionable steps makes the process more manageable and less overwhelming.
For instance, when we were developing our social media scheduling platform, I didn’t just set a goal to create the best tool in the market. Instead, I focused on daily and weekly milestones, such as improving a specific feature, enhancing user-interface design, or achieving a certain number of beta users. This approach not only kept the team motivated but also allowed us to celebrate small wins, which are crucial for maintaining momentum.
Moreover, micro-goals foster a culture of continuous improvement. By regularly reviewing and adjusting these smaller objectives, we stay adaptable and responsive to feedback. It’s about creating a roadmap where each micro-goal serves as a stepping stone towards the larger vision. This method has driven our company’s growth and instilled a sense of achievement and purpose within the team.
Dinesh Agarwal
Founder, CEO, RecurPost
Implement SMART Goals
Setting SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—has been a game-changer for achieving success. For example, when working on a new book launch, I set clear, measurable targets for each stage of the project, from writing to marketing and sales. This approach provided a roadmap and made it easier to track progress and adjust as needed. It’s like using a detailed map on a road trip—you know exactly where you’re headed and can navigate any detours along the way. This technique ensures you stay focused and motivated while reaching your objectives.
Mike Fallat
Owner, DreamStarters Publishing
Share Goals for Accountability
Not keeping my goals to myself has helped me achieve success. Sharing what I was working towards held me accountable and motivated me to do what I said I would do. However, the most significant way this technique helped me succeed was by opening doors. By discussing my goals, I was connected with mentors and partners who helped me reach my objectives faster. You never know who the people in your network know. Start sharing and making connections, and see progress happen.
Daniel Kroytor
Founder and Director, Tailored Pay
Visualize the End Result
I take some time to clearly picture the end result of my goal and imagine the steps I need to get there. By visualizing the successful completion of the goal and the benefits it will bring, I stay motivated and focused.
For instance, if I’m working on a new marketing strategy, I’ll visualize how it will impact our business and the positive outcomes it will create. This keeps me motivated and helps in mapping out a more effective plan to reach the goal.
Ryan Kelly
Chief Marketing Officer, Easy Ice
Journal Daily for Focus
Journaling every day about my concerns, where I’m at, and where I want to be helps me focus on the goals I have, as well as helps me see where I need to take action so that I can keep working toward my goals.
Shari Azama
Marketing Manager, Yu-Be, Inc.
Utilize OKRs for Clarity
OKRs provide a clear and focused approach to goal-setting. By defining ambitious objectives and quantifiable key results, we’ve been able to create a shared vision across the organization. For instance, one of our objectives was to improve customer satisfaction. To measure this, we established key results such as reducing average response time to customer inquiries by 20% and increasing customer satisfaction scores by 10%.
The beauty of OKRs is in their flexibility. They allow for adaptation as circumstances change. We can adjust key results without compromising the overall objective, ensuring that we remain agile in a dynamic market. OKRs also create a culture of transparency and accountability. By openly sharing goals and progress, we encourage collaboration and innovation.
Another advantage of OKRs is their ability to cascade throughout the organization. Each department can set its own OKRs aligned with the company’s overall objectives. This ensures that everyone is working towards a common goal while maintaining a sense of ownership over their specific contributions.
Tim Hodnicki
President, Electrical Experts
