Craft Your Leadership Development Plan

What is a "One Big Thing" goal?

Your One Big Thing is a single overarching aspiration that, if it became strongly true, would unlock your leadership and take it to a new level. It's worded as: "As a leader, I…"

Attaining this would materially change others' experience of you as a leader and increase your positive impact in your leadership.

A well-formed One Big Thing meets four parameters:

• StretchAddresses a significant change in leadership style or performance that others can witness.
• New StyleDescribes how you will show up overall, versus specific behaviors.
• InspiringIs aspirational — provides inspiration that creates energy.
• VisibleFocuses on one thing so others can provide clear feedback.

Let's test your understanding against three examples.

Is each goal a strong One Big Thing?

Check every parameter the goal fails — there may be more than one. If the goal meets all four parameters, check "Meets all criteria."

Which Creative leadership trait area do you want to work in?

Refer to your Leadership Circle Profile and pick the Creative trait area where you most want to grow. We'll show you example One Big Thing goals from that area to help you draft your own.

Draft your One Big Thing goal

Here are example goals from the trait area you selected. Use them as inspiration, but write something that feels true and stretching for you.

Now it's time to craft your own. If you want to use an example from above you can cut and paste. It's best to craft a personalized one so it will be uniquely meaningful to you.

What about this goal is meaningful to you? Its impact on your business? Your direct reports? Your personal life? Write a few words about why this goal matters to you.

Test your draft against the four parameters

For each parameter, tell us whether your draft meets it. If we notice anything that suggests otherwise, we'll offer a suggestion.

My One Big Liability

Each of us has Reactive tendencies that, unless we are conscious and deliberate, can interrupt our effectiveness by commanding energy and attention.

Ask yourself: "What pattern of thought/behavior do I exhibit that, if I let it go, would free me to take my leadership to a new level?"

My best current articulation of that One Big Liability is the following:

Start & Stop behaviors

Alongside your One Big Thing, you'll commit to one behavior to Start (or do more) and one to Stop (or do less). These are concrete actions that move you toward your One Big Thing and away from your reactive tendencies.

A well-formed Start or Stop behavior meets these parameters:

• AspirationalSupports your One Big Thing goal.
• ConcreteSpecific enough that you'd know exactly what it looks like.
• ActionableSomething you can choose to do or not do.
• ObservableOthers can see whether you're doing it.
• DistinctYour Start and Stop aren't flip sides of the same coin (e.g., Start: "confront bad behavior" and Stop: "stop avoiding conflict" are too similar).

Let's test three examples.

Does each Start or Stop behavior meet the parameters?

Check every parameter the behavior fails — there may be more than one. If it meets all four, check "Meets all criteria."

Draft your Start behavior

What's one behavior you want to Start doing (or do more of) — something concrete, observable, and aspirational that supports your One Big Thing?

Draft your Stop behavior

What's one behavior you want to Stop doing (or do less of) — something that gets in the way of your One Big Thing?

Your draft Leadership Development Plan

Below is your draft. If you want to make any revisions, use the "Copy to clipboard" button and create your own working document. Once you are satisfied, share it with Ellen Lindsey, your 360 coach, at ellen@executive360coaching.com.

Save your plan

Share with your coach

Send this draft to Ellen so you can refine it together in your next session.