Blog Executive Goal Setting Part 1: Defining the "Gold Star" for You and Your Team Share This post is the first in a two-part series on executive goal setting. Goal setting is one of the most underused tools available to senior leaders. Many executives move into a new year with broad intentions and a long list of priorities, but very little clarity about what “success” actually looks like. When leaders forgo formally mapping goals or “phone it in,” teams end up spinning their wheels, wasting time and energy trying to figure out what actually matters. Strong leaders take the guesswork out of the equation. They co-author clear goals with their direct supervisors, convert those goals into a clear narrative for their teams, and help each direct report define what high-quality performance looks like. Clear expectations give everyone a shared direction and practical ways to execute. The first part of our goal-setting series focuses on how leaders define their own “gold star” and cascade that discipline across their teams. Start With Your Own “Gold Star” Roles will inevitably evolve from year to year. What worked last year might be completely wrong in the year ahead. Leaders who assume continuity without confirming set themselves up for surprises during midyear and year-end reviews. It is much more effective (and efficient!) to have a deliberate alignment conversation with your leader: Focus on three questions: What does outstanding performance in this role look like? What outcomes matter most? How do those outcomes link to the broader enterprise agenda? Push for specifics. Broad intentions can’t guide real work. Steer the conversation towards clear outcomes and follow up with a short note so you and your manager stay aligned as the year moves forward. A few principles help this process work: Clarify your situation: Are you in a turnaround, strengthening an already strong area, or operating in a value-enabling role? Context changes what realistic goals should look like. Make it manageable: Long lists dilute execution. Limit goals to what you can deliver with quality. Engage stakeholders early: Many executive outcomes depend on peers. Bring them into the discussion so your goals align with theirs. Build a simple storyline: Articulate your priorities in a way your manager and team can understand and repeat. The result is a shared definition of success that people across the organization can follow. Co-Authoring Goals With Your Direct Supervisor A strong goal-setting conversation has a clear structure. It is not a negotiation over tasks; rather, it is a discussion focused on how to drive outcomes and create the conditions for success. A simple structure helps keep this conversation focused. Start with these three steps: Your manager’s goals: Begin by asking what success looks like for them. Understanding their agenda helps you anchor your goals to the realities they manage. What this means for your role: Translate their agenda into specific expectations for your function. Identify where your work will accelerate enterprise priorities, where you need to partner across the organization, and where risks might emerge. Alignment and confirmation: Close the loop in writing. This step ensures everyone is actually aligned. It also gives you a “gold star” for the rest of the year. The same discipline should carry through to the next level of the organization so that every team, at every level, is working toward clear, aligned outcomes. From Goals to Execution A clear goal set gives you and your team a practical way to line up work and stay focused on the outcomes that matter most. The second part of this series looks at what it takes to deliver against those goals over a full year, including how leaders manage energy, build capacity, and create a culture of continuous improvement.