New Year’s Resolutions for Leaders in 2012

With the New Year just days away, many expect the same-old-same-old just like the last few years. Business leaders are a bit more optimistic than that. Some leaders are looking to reinvent themselves and their organizations. This is due to the economic climate as these leaders want to sustain and maintain their presence as they grow their organization and move forward with creative and innovative products and services.  
As you think about your resolutions for the New Year, reflect on what you can do to enhance your role as a leader and the contributions of those who “follow” you. What lessons did you learn in 2011 that can help you in 2012? Think of these resolutions as you to accomplish.
 
Start the New Year by reassessing your plans and goals. Here are some things you can do to help you get started in the New Year.
 
Let’s start with a few things to think about first.
 
Ask yourself “What did I Accomplishment?” What did you feel good about? Did you do a good job in your position? What can you improve on?
 
What Did I Learn in 2011? The past year has been a valuable source of information about how to succeed this next year. Ask yourself: What worked and what did not work? What would have worked better?

1.      Put Time on Your Calendar

 
Set purposeful stretch goals to help you improve your performance. Learn something new or fine-tune an existing skill. These should help push you to the next level of your success. Set 3 goals at a time. When you complete 3 goals, add 3 new goals, stretching each time you add more to your accomplishments.

2.      Create a More Conducive Climate

 
Evaluate your own personal contributions to the organization. Improving at least one thing even if it is a relationship with people you do not see eye-to-eye with can smooth things with regard to performance may go a long way. 
 
Listen better to others ideas, thoughts, opinions and feedback that can improve your leadership and/or the organization.

3.      Working Smarter in the New Year

 
This is often times better than working harder. Find three ways you make yourself irreplaceable in the company. What unique ways do you have about you that no one else in the organization has, besides being the leader that you can improve on?

4.      Succession Planning

 
Too many leaders have not written out a succession plan just in case a situation occurs that may incapacitate them for some time period. Write yours out where you do not have to name names, unless you feel comfortable in doing so of who would move into what positions.

5.      Open-Door Policy 

It is up to you whether you have an open door policy or not. If you tell your employees that you have one, then make it real without anyone getting revenge on anyone else. Having a real open-door policy allows others to talk with you and you’re allowing them to do so.

Finally, how can you make sure you achieve your top ten goals for the year? Keep them visible and review them each day. Set up a system of weekly and monthly goals to create progress towards completing them. Focus on your initiatives and bringing new perspectives to existing priorities can give you greater opportunities.
 
So, what are your 2012 New Year’s Resolution Goals? Think carefully and write them down so they stay on your mind. It is up to you to write some detail of what you want from your goals as well as how you expect to achieve them.

Happy New Year & Best Wishes for 2012.