In 1979 a study was conducted on the Harvard MBA program. In that year, the students were asked, "Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?" Only 3% of the graduates had written goals and plans; 13% had goals, but they were not in writing; and a whopping 84% had no specific goals at all.

Ten years later, the members of the class were interviewed again, and the findings, while possibly predictable, were nonetheless astonishing. The 13% of the class who had goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84 percent who had no goals at all.

And what about the three percent who had clear, written goals? They were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97% put together.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU OR YOUR BUSINESS?

Do you have a clear idea of your career goals? If you are a manager or business owner, what are your aspirations for your team or organization? Part of being successful in achieving your goals is being part of a community that is aware and supportive of your endeavours. Taking part in Leadership Development training can help you recognize and acknowledge realistic career/business goals, and corporate leadership coaching can provide the ongoing community and reinforcement to help you make those goals a reality.

“Strategic planning is worthless -- unless there is first a strategic vision.”-- John Naisbitt

One of the most important characteristics that people look for in a leader is vision, or the ability to be forward-looking. A great leader is able to paint a picture of a goal or future that is so compelling, people are eager to get behind it and be involved in making it happen.

One can have a personal vision for one’s own life or career, or an organization can have a corporate vision of where the organization hopes to be in the not-too-distant future. That vision informs all the decisions that are made along the way, and gives the team clear guidelines to get there.

If you want to communicate the vision clearly, and get others on board, here are some things you can do: talk about it whenever you get the chance; tie it in with higher-order values, and the higher purpose of others in the organization; and show others how their own interests can be realized by enlisting in the vision. Someone once said that your vision needs to be big enough that you can’t achieve it on your own. Dare to dream big, and then tell others (co-workers, friends, family, and your coach) about it – the sky’s the limit to what you can accomplish.

Phil Ohl is the Principal of The Leader's Edge. As a world-class athlete, performance expert and professional educator, Phil uses his insights and experience to help organizations perform at a higher level.