John Stanko

"I press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called
me heavenward in Christ Jesus" - Philippians 3:14.

This verse indicates the anatomy of a goal: 1) it causes a group to 'press on' while the inertia of tradition and fear is working to keep it stagnant and in the same place; 2) there is prize, which means there are winners and losers; 3) it is a 'calling,' something special that only this organization can embrace and accomplish; and 4) is 'heavenward,' which means the group pursuing the goal is elevated in its self-esteem and efficacy. Leaders understand these components and that is why they help their followers establish, clarify, focus and achieve group goals.

LEADERSHIP STEP: Today is review day. Your Step is to sit down and write out all the current goals for your department, family, organization or company. Then ask those involved in those entities to do the same thing and get together to compare notes. If everyone has the same goals written down, there is clarity. If not, then it's a good time to get everyone on the same page by enumerating clear and measurable goals so all are pulling in the same direction.