It’s easy for long-term goals to get buried under daily demands. But bold, ambitious vision still plays a critical role in helping leaders stay focused, align their teams, and make meaningful progress. Now might be the right time to step back and ask where you're really headed.

Are We Still Dreaming Big Enough?

Sometimes I fear that in the rush to respond to the present, we’ve forgotten how to set and strive for those Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs) that once inspired us to achieve great things.

Not long ago, I was at a get-together with a few friends when the conversation veered into unexpected territory: the achievements of different generations. One of my friends shared a debate he’d had with his father that has stuck with me since. His dad, now retired, made a sweeping statement: “You all aren’t reaching high enough.”

He talked about his generation’s moon landing, the invention of antibiotics like penicillin, and global health breakthroughs. In comparison, he suggested, today’s society is preoccupied with short-term wins, the latest app, the next funding round, the newest AI feature.

Of course, there’s more nuance than that. Our generation is tackling some of the most complex problems in human history: climate change, pandemic response, space exploration, and the ethical implications of AI to name just a few. But the conversation raised a valid question:

Are we still giving ourselves permission to pursue bold, transformative goals, in our lives, and in our organizations?

 

The Distraction of the Everyday

Driving home from the party, I found myself on autopilot.  I pulled into my driveway and realized I hadn’t consciously noticed a single turn along the way.

It struck me: as leaders, we’d never allow ourselves to be so distracted by the dashboard lights and notifications in our car that we forget where we were heading in the first place. And yet… isn’t that exactly what happens in business?

We spend our days checking dashboards, reviewing updates, sitting in meetings, and often forget to ask where we’re really headed.

Today’s leaders are managing unprecedented complexity. Planning cycles have shortened. Innovation is continuous. Priorities shift fast, and we’ve adapted by becoming agile, responsive, and efficient.

But in the process, many organizations have lost connection with their Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG), that bold, long-term target that transcends quarterly metrics and unites teams around something meaningful.

 

Why BHAGs Still Matter

In a world of fast pivots and short-term wins, BHAGs can feel like a luxury. But they’re not. A well-defined BHAG:

    • Provides strategic direction amid chaos and complexity
    • Aligns teams around a shared long-term purpose
    • Pushes boundaries and redefines what success looks like
    • Builds resilience, giving context to today’s challenges

BHAGs aren’t about rigid planning. They’re about bold clarity, helping leaders decide what not to pursue just as much as what to prioritize.

 

Reconnecting with Long-Term Vision

What is your personal or professional BHAG?  Are you stretching yourself or your organization to achieve amazing things that will change the world?  If you’ve lost sight of your organization’s BHAG (or haven’t defined one recently) now is the time to re-anchor. A few steps can help:

1. Write it down: Vision without documentation is just a feeling. Put your BHAG in writing. Keep it visible, in your office, in your planning decks, in your leadership team’s conversation.

2. Name what “great” looks like: A BHAG isn’t vague — it’s specific, bold, and clear. Ask yourself: “What would remarkable success look like for us 10 years from now?”

3. Use it as a filter: Refer to your BHAG during annual and quarterly planning. Does this initiative move us closer? If not, why are we doing it?

4. Talk about it: Teams take their cue from leadership. If you don’t talk about the long-term goal, it’s unlikely your team will act with it in mind.

5. Revisit and refine: A BHAG isn’t set in stone, but it should be durable. Check for relevance annually. Has your context changed? Does the goal still inspire?

 

Final Thoughts

In our hyper-connected world, it’s easy to confuse motion with progress. But bold goals give motion its meaning. They’re what turn busy leaders into transformative ones.

So, what’s your organization’s BHAG?
Are you still heading toward it...or just staring at the dashboard?

 

Looking to refocus your team around a bold vision this year?
Now’s the time to step back, realign, and set meaningful goals that will guide your organization forward. Whether you're revisiting your BHAG or starting fresh, our team can support your strategic planning and execution. Contact us to start the conversation.

 

This blog post was originally published in 2013 as "Going After Your Big Hairy Audacious Goals" and has been updated with new content.
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