Creating leadership goals for the new year can be crucial for self-reflection and improvement. The new year is the perfect time to take the initial steps that can set the tone for the rest of the year and set you and your team up for success. Keep reading for six key business leadership goals that are essential to follow this new year so you can navigate the year with purpose.

Setting Leadership Goals

Understanding how you operate as a leader is imperative to being able to tailor your own leadership goals. Figure out your own strengths and weaknesses and choose one or two weaknesses you hope to improve on this year using your strengths as a roadmap to achieve them. It’s important to remember SMART goals when setting goals, or setting Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely goals.

Core Values

Like setting leadership goals, this new year it is important to identify your core values to guide how you communicate and accomplish your leadership goals. Going further than knowing your values is figuring out how to live by them. Making decisions that align with your values can build trust and authority with your team.

Leadership Goals: Building and Fostering Relationships

One of the most important leadership goals in the business world is to have a good relationship with your team. Make it a point this year to get to know and understand each team member, spending time with them and figuring out how their strengths and weaknesses can work for different projects. Supporting and mentoring your team members can drastically improve their professional development and create a well-rounded team. Not to mention that employees tend to enjoy their work and increase productivity when they are in a positive and supportive environment.

Seeking Feedback

Another important way to foster a positive relationship with your team is to seek feedback on your leadership skills and learn to accept constructive criticism. A strong leader can create a trusting environment while seeking feedback if they can demonstrate to their team that they are humble and graceful when receiving criticism and are active listeners. Research shows that leaders who empower their staff to provide feedback are rated higher in leadership effectiveness.

Leadership Goals: Learning to Effectively Delegate

Another strength to focus on when cultivating leadership goals is learning how to delegate effectively. Learning how to subtract instead of add to your to-do list can create space for success. Delegating effectively allows you to free up time for other responsibilities that need your attention, such as strategic planning and decision-making. Delegating can also build confidence in your team and allow them to develop new skills, and eventually increase team-productivity. Improving your delegation skills can also help with communication skills and practice avoiding micromanaging.

Cultivating Diversity and Inclusion

Like creating a trusting environment for feedback, setting leadership goals for diversity and inclusion are crucial to a successful workplace. Fostering an empowering environment is essential to enhancing employee engagement and retaining talent. Building a culture of respect and embracing diversity through equal opportunities, embracing diverse perspectives, and understanding the current DEI dynamics within your organization can make your organization stronger and more successful.