Accomplishing a Little Bit of the Impossible

A couple of weeks ago, I advised you to set SMART recruiting goals by identifying objectives that are attainable. While this sounds reasonable, great leaders often inspire their followers to push just past the attainable and ask for a little more. In a post from the archive, here is one leader’s observations of how high performers set goals and what they want from their leaders. High performers want a goal that’s just a little bit impossible (vision). They want a leader who can paint the picture of how to get there (direction). They want a leader who will be honest enough to tell them they are off track (feedback). And they want a leader who, when the goal is achieved, remembers to say: “Unbelievable–what you just did was impossible!” The chances of accomplishing great things improve when you reach just beyond what you believe to be your limits. Teach yourself this lesson first, then ask others to join you in accomplishing a little bit of the impossible.