What 40 Years of Leadership Taught Me About Setting Goals That Deliver Results

I believe setting goals should be as automatic in the new year as turning the page on a calendar, yet I’m always surprised by how many CEOs don’t do it at all. Goals are the roadmap for a company’s journey, and without one, it’s hard to understand how leaders expect to arrive anywhere 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 conditions make direction more important, not less. When the seas are rough, you don’t abandon the map — you rely on it.

Related: 3 Startup Success Secrets Learned on a 40-Year Journey From Go-For to Billionaire

Goal setting 101

Goal setting isn’t static. Even with a strategy in place, business today requires constant adjustment. What some call herding cats, I simply call a normal Tuesday.

Our approach is straightforward: we maintain a one-year plan and a three-year plan, both revisited midway through the year to assess what’s working and what needs recalibration. Each plan includes no more than three primary goals. Fewer than three lacks focus; more than three turns strategy into a cluttered to-do list.

Those goals must be challenging, specific and measurable. “Double our revenue” is a goal. “Increase revenue” is not. We aim for what we call BHAGs — Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals — because they force the organization to stretch. If a brand grows from five locations to 50 instead of 100, that’s still meaningful progress. Playing it safe may allow you to claim success, but it rarely leads to real growth.

Involve the entire organization

Even after four decades in business, we continue to involve everyone in the goal-setting process. We survey teams across our franchise brands, gather ideas and vote on the most critical priorities. Inspiration can come from anywhere, and engagement creates ownership.

Each brand also defines success differently. A mature signage brand may 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 business is today.

Measure what moves the goal

Setting goals isn’t enough — you must decide how you’ll measure progress. I call these lead measures: the specific actions that drive results. Every goal should have two or three lead measures attached to it.

If your goal is to double revenue, what daily or weekly sales activity will get you there? If you want to launch a new product every quarter, what milestones and deadlines must be met along the way? Big outcomes are built from consistent, repeatable actions.

Related: I Started My Business In My Mom’s Basement at the Age of 17. Here are 5 Rules I Wish I Had Known, But Had to Learn the Hard Way

New year, real progress

This is how businesses win — not by fixating on an end-of-year number, but by executing the right actions every day. Just as a basketball team wins one basket at a time, companies grow one call, one meeting and one decision at a time.

After 40 years, I’ve never been more optimistic. Clear, actionable goals have positioned us to finish 2025 strong and set the foundation for an even better 2026. That confidence doesn’t come from hope — it comes from discipline, clarity and a roadmap that shows exactly where we’re headed.

I believe setting goals should be as automatic in the new year as turning the page on a calendar, yet I’m always surprised by how many CEOs don’t do it at all. Goals are the roadmap for a company’s journey, and without one, it’s hard to understand how leaders expect to arrive anywhere 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 conditions make direction more important, not less. When the seas are rough, you don’t abandon the map — you rely on it.