Many leaders are expected to be expert multitaskers and very nearly ‘super-leaders,' who are innovative and ready to handle anything. While some leaders have a clear vision of the future, others look ahead and only see a gray fog. Setting audacious goals can help leaders work towards the results they want, for themselves and their organisations.
While a magic pill would be lots of fun, there is no quick and easy way to become a super- leader. It takes time, effort, and the willingness to be better. Think about what you want to accomplish in specific timelines. What do you want to get done today, tomorrow, next week, next year, in the next decade? Set some goals, and be creative!
While today’s goal may be to simply make it through the day without spilling coffee on your shirt and not forgetting to pick up someone at ball practice, each day is a new opportunity. Sometimes you’ll have bad days—we all do. But don’t become bogged down by what happened, or didn’t happen, and instead, focus on what you really want to accomplish.
Dream up big, hairy, audacious goals that you are passionate about and pursue them relentlessly. You have to begin with the end goal in mind, knowing that a goal is a dream with a deadline.
Clay Clark
As a leader, your skill set is expected to continually change and adapt to the rapidly advancing business economy. Setting goals in such a fast-paced world can be daunting, especially if you aren’t exactly sure how things like robotics, or supercomputers, or global instability may affect your organisation.
We are in the Imagination Age, and setting audacious goals can help you keep up with everything around you. Almost no dream is unattainable. While you probably can’t learn to fly like Superman or become an Amazonian goddess like Wonder Woman, you can still achieve some pretty fantastic things if you allow your mind to recognise that the possibilities are there.
Your attitude matters, so if you only see a fuzzy, foggy future, chances are you won’t accomplish much. An attitude that combines positivity, embracing change and proactivity will turn your brain into a machine that sees opportunities everywhere, instead of threats and a distant, unclear future.
An attitude of success’ will balance your brain and give you the possibility of new neuronal connections, letting you see patterns that were not clear to you before. Neuroscience is teaching us that it’s important to set goals that aren’t the norm, and that do stretch your abilities, because if your brain can believe it first through imagining the possibilities, then your brain can start turning that belief into reality.
Innovation is pulling us all along, and you can go kicking and screaming, holding onto the past, or smiling and confident in your superhero outfit. Embrace the possibilities and become a more innovative leader. Adjusting your attitude to expect great things can lead you onto a path where dreams really do become a reality.