Leaderly Quote: Delivering a lofty goal
By Jo Miller
Want to make 2016 a breakthrough year for your career?
“Have the confidence, courage and agility to go after lofty goals,” says Colleen Flaherty of Kraft Foods.
I interviewed Flaherty for the Network of Executive Women’s Leadership Academy webinar series, and let me tell you, as Vice President and General Manager of the Kroger Team at Kraft, she knows a thing or two about setting and achieving lofty “stretch” goals in business. For the past two years she’s been leading Kraft’s nearly $2 Billion Kroger business to industry-leading growth. “Delivering a lofty goal provides instant credibility and exposure within your organization,” says Flaherty.
As you think about the year ahead and what you’d like to achieve, align your personal career priorities to your organization’s most important goals so you can deliver results that contribute to the bottom line. Making an impact by driving valuable business results is a proven career-accelerator.
Don’t undermine yourself
But don’t shortchange yourself by setting the bar too low, as you might end up paying a career penalty in the long run. As Flaherty points out, “Your inclination to build your annual goals in a way you can achieve them is a bit undermining.”
So don’t hold back. Declare a “stretch goal” for yourself for the year, and go for it!
3 more reasons to go after lofty goals
Here, according to Flaherty, are three additional reasons why you should be going after lofty business goals:
• Working on a challenging business goal gives you the perfect opportunity to broaden your sphere of influence.
• The more specific and meaningful a goal you set for yourself, the stronger your performance will be.
• Delivering results that are aligned to your organization’s goals will set you apart from your peers.
What lofty goal will you be going for this year?
Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.

By Jo Miller
Want to make 2016 a breakthrough year for your career?
“Have the confidence, courage and agility to go after lofty goals,” says Colleen Flaherty of Kraft Foods.
I interviewed Flaherty for the Network of Executive Women’s Leadership Academy webinar series, and let me tell you, as Vice President and General Manager of the Kroger Team at Kraft, she knows a thing or two about setting and achieving lofty “stretch” goals in business. For the past two years she’s been leading Kraft’s nearly $2 Billion Kroger business to industry-leading growth. “Delivering a lofty goal provides instant credibility and exposure within your organization,” says Flaherty.
As you think about the year ahead and what you’d like to achieve, align your personal career priorities to your organization’s most important goals so you can deliver results that contribute to the bottom line. Making an impact by driving valuable business results is a proven career-accelerator.
Don’t undermine yourself
But don’t shortchange yourself by setting the bar too low, as you might end up paying a career penalty in the long run. As Flaherty points out, “Your inclination to build your annual goals in a way you can achieve them is a bit undermining.”
So don’t hold back. Declare a “stretch goal” for yourself for the year, and go for it!
3 more reasons to go after lofty goals
Here, according to Flaherty, are three additional reasons why you should be going after lofty business goals:
• Working on a challenging business goal gives you the perfect opportunity to broaden your sphere of influence.
• The more specific and meaningful a goal you set for yourself, the stronger your performance will be.
• Delivering results that are aligned to your organization’s goals will set you apart from your peers.
What lofty goal will you be going for this year?

Jo Miller
Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their leadership strengths. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.)
Jo is CEO of leadership development, consulting and research firm Be Leaderly. Learn more about her speaking engagements at www.JoMiller.com and follow @Jo_Miller on Twitter.