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Key Takeaways
- Why many leaders struggle with setting goals in uncertain times and what that hesitation reveals about how companies actually operate.
- A proven leadership mindset for building focus, alignment and momentum as companies plan for the year ahead.
I believe that setting goals in the new year should be as automatic as turning the page on a calendar, yet I’m always surprised by the number of CEOs who don’t do this at all. Goals are the roadmap for a company’s journey, and without objectives it’s difficult to understand how leaders expect to achieve anything 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 circumstances make direction more important, not less. If the sea is rough, don’t leave the map; you trust it.
Related: 3 Startup Success Secrets Learned During a 40-Year Journey from Go-For to Billionaire
Objective 101
Goal setting is not static. Even when a strategy exists, business today requires constant adaptation. What some people call shepherd cats, I just call a normal Tuesday.
Our approach is simple: we use a one-year plan and a three-year plan, both reviewed mid-year to assess what works and what needs recalibration. Each plan includes no more than three main goals. Fewer than three lack focus; more than three turn strategy into a messy to-do list.
Those goals must be challenging, specific and measurable. “Doubling our turnover” is a goal. “Increasing revenues” is not. We strive for what we call BHAGs – Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals – because they force the organization to stretch. If a brand grows from five locations to fifty instead of a hundred, that is still significant progress. Playing it safe may help you claim success, but it rarely leads to real growth.
Involve the entire organization
Even after forty years in business, we continue to involve everyone in goal setting. We survey teams across our franchise brands, collect ideas and vote on the most critical priorities. Inspiration can come from anywhere, and involvement creates ownership.
Every brand also defines success differently. A mature signage brand can focus on increasing average unit volume or expanding the number of million-dollar locations. A newer franchise may prioritize entirely different benchmarks. The key is alignment around goals that actually reflect where the company is today.
Measure what moves the target
Setting goals is not enough; you need to decide how you will measure progress. I call these leading actions: the specific actions that deliver results. Each goal should have two or three leading actions associated with it.
If your goal is to double sales, what daily or weekly sales activity will get you there? If you want to launch a new product every quarter, what milestones and deadlines do you need to meet? Great results come from consistent, repeatable actions.
Related: I Started My Business in My Mom’s Basement at 17. Here are 5 rules I wish I knew, but had to learn the hard way
New year, real progress
This is how companies win – not by fixating on a year-end number, but by taking the right actions every day. Just as a basketball team wins one basket at a time, companies grow one phone call, one meeting and one decision at a time.
After 40 years, I have never been so optimistic. Clear, actionable goals have put us in a position to finish 2025 strong and lay the foundation for an even better 2026. That confidence does not come from hope; it comes from discipline, clarity and a roadmap that shows exactly where we are going.