Setting Goals That Actually Move Leaders Forward
The goal-setting phase of a coaching engagement holds a lot of opposites: it is exciting and frustrating, structured and messy, simple and complex, all at the same time.
It’s also where I intentionally slow down with a client, to dig deeper, get more generative, and be incisively curious about what would not just be good outcomes, but truly inspiring ones. As I often say: we go slow at first so we can go fast later.
A deliberate start creates clarity and momentum for everything that follows, but easy, it is not, as my clients will attest.
One of the most practical frameworks I use comes from David Rock and the NeuroLeadership Institute, where I did some of my most formative coach training. The approach is simple and powerful:
Mine – Generate a broad set of possible goals
Define – Collapse and prioritize the most meaningful ones.
Refine – Hone 2–3 goals that truly resonate and are significant.
Shine – Sharpen each one to be distinct, pithy, and inspiring
These goals become the anchor points we return to throughout the engagement.
So why is it so hard to land on a clear and forwarding set of 3 goals?
Over time, I’ve noticed a handful of patterns that tend to get in the way, and a few principles that help clients move through them.
1. Frame Goals in the Positive
Clients often begin by describing what they want to move away from: feeling overwhelmed, navigating difficult relationships, being left out of key decisions, or running depleted.
That’s a useful starting point, but it’s not the goal.
The real work is articulating what they want to move toward. What does “ideal” actually look like in their leadership and their life?
2. Aim for What Is Actually Inspiring
Especially early on, we tend to set goals that are safe—achievable within our current reality.
But safe goals rarely create meaningful change.
If a client doesn’t light up when they say the goal out loud—if their energy, cadence, or presence doesn’t shift—we’re not there yet.
When we land on the right goal, you can feel it. Something opens up and the individual’s energy is vibrant and steadied by its declaration.
3. Make Goals Concrete and Vivid
Leaders often articulate goals that are compelling but too broad to work from:
“Be a more inspiring leader”
“Feel more confident”
These are helpful and often ones we achieve, but incomplete as a goal statement.
The next step is making them observable and specific:
What will be true in the ideal future?
What evidence will exist for the change?
What will you or others notice and/or experience for the better?
Strong goals sit within a leader’s control and can be broken into meaningful phases of work.
For example:
Increase employee engagement scores by 10%
Establish clear work/life boundaries through consistent rituals
Lead team meetings that are engaging learning and problem solving forums.
4. Keep Goals Short and Memorable
Many leaders assume more words create more clarity.
In practice, the opposite is true.
The most effective goals function like a motto—something concise enough to guide behavior in real time. At times, I’ll challenge clients to capture a goal in seven words or fewer.
If you can’t remember it, it needs more honing.
5. Build a Distinct Portfolio
It’s common for goals to overlap or cluster around a single theme.
This is where the work becomes more strategic: clarifying what is truly primary and organizing supporting ideas underneath it.
I think of this like building an investment portfolio for one’s development. You want diversification, so your growth isn’t over-indexed in one direction and progress is always possible somewhere.
This is why I encourage leaders to focus on three primary goals, with optional secondary ones in the background.
What “Shiny” Goals Look Like
When these principles come together, goals start to feel clear, motivating, and usable:
Focus 50% of my week on strategic work
Develop MVP and fundraising materials by Q2
Maintain steady, clear communication under pressure
Foster a climate of curiosity and innovation
Chart a clear path for my next chapter
Practice daily self-renewal
Some are measurable. Others are more qualitative. Some act as mottos.
All of them are usable—something a leader can return to daily to reorient their thinking and behavior.
Done well, goal setting doesn’t just prepare a client for change:
it initiates it.
Where journalists write the headline after the story is complete, coaching invites leaders to write their headline first—and then we build the story to match.
Coaching invites leaders to write their headlines first; and then we build the story to match.
