It is easy to get caught up in the rush of daily tasks and deadlines. Goals get checked off, meetings get scheduled, and projects move forward. But without pausing to reflect, you may lose sight of why those goals matter in the first place. Reflection is what connects your day-to-day actions back to the bigger picture.
When you stop to consider how each goal supports your overall vision, you bring meaning back into the process. It shifts the work from being just another task to being a step toward something significant. This clarity not only keeps you motivated but also helps you prioritize what truly matters.
(more…)A compelling vision can inspire and unite a team, but without a plan, it stays a dream. Leaders who know how to translate vision into actionable goals create a bridge between aspiration and achievement. That bridge is built step by step, with goals that are clear, specific, and trackable.
Breaking down a vision starts with clarity. Ask yourself: What does success look like? What will be different when we get there? These answers create a concrete target, turning an abstract idea into something measurable. Without that clarity, teams may work hard but move in different directions.
(more…)By Michelle Cummings
One of the biggest challenges leaders face is knowing how to move a team forward when momentum stalls. In our Eyes of a Leader module, we help leaders develop a clear, compelling vision—and just as importantly, identify what might be pulling their team off course. This is where the Drain Model, developed by Dr. Carl Larson and Frank LaFasto, becomes such a powerful leadership tool. Based on over a decade of research with thousands of teams, their model doesn’t just explain what slows teams down—it reveals why.
At the heart of the Drain Model is this idea of energy and focus. Larson and LaFasto describe three types of energy that a team needs to reach its goals: Mental, Physical, and Spiritual. Mental energy is your team’s collective knowledge and problem-solving ability. Physical energy is the stamina to do the work. But spiritual energy? That’s the one we overlook most often. It’s the emotional drive, the passion, and the shared commitment that keeps people connected to the goal—and to each other.
(more…)Setting goals is only the first step. The real progress happens when you track how you are doing and make changes when needed. Without regular measurement, even the clearest goals can drift off course. Leaders who measure consistently stay aware of what is working and what is not, which allows them to adjust before small problems become big ones.
Measurement is more than just checking numbers. It is about comparing your current results to where you want to be. This could be as simple as weekly check-ins or as detailed as reviewing specific performance metrics. The key is consistency. Sporadic tracking makes it too easy to miss trends or lose momentum.
(more…)In leadership, distractions are everywhere. Emails, last-minute requests, unexpected problems, and shifting priorities can quickly pull you off course. The leaders who make consistent progress toward their goals are not the ones who avoid these challenges, but the ones who manage them without losing sight of what matters most.
Urgent tasks have a way of feeling more important than they are. They grab your attention and create the illusion of progress. But too many of these moments can crowd out the work that actually drives results. Staying focused means deciding, in the moment, what truly deserves your time.
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Tag: Vision and Execution
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