Is choosing between big goals and small wins setting you back?
In this episode, Nora and Bonny explore how 1+1=3 when it comes to achieving your team’s and organization’s goals. They tackle one of the biggest myths in leadership: that you must choose between setting bold, audacious goals or focusing on small, measurable wins. They unpack why this “either/or” mindset limits performance and how real momentum comes from mastering both. Through practical examples and actionable tools, leaders learn you can hold the telescope and the compass at the same time to simultaneously inspire teams with vision while guiding them through confident, disciplined steps that deliver lasting results.
Key Takeaways:
➡️ Stop choosing. Start combining. Great leaders know momentum comes from blending big vision with steady progress, not picking one over the other.️
➡️ Set a summit, then chart your basecamps. Bold BHAGs give teams direction and purpose; incremental milestones keep them moving with confidence and clarity.
➡️ Beware of burnout and stagnation. Vision without traction leads to frustration, small wins without purpose lead to mediocrity. Balance prevents both.
➡️ Consistency is tough but critical. Progress over perfection, even on tough days, builds resilience, trust, and sustainable success.
➡️ Make goal setting a team sport. Tailor your approach to your team’s styles, celebrate progress, and create a rhythm of accountability that fuels long-term momentum and commitment.
Listener Challenge:
Do you naturally lead with the ‘summit’ or the ‘basecamps’ as your goal?
1️⃣ If you lead with the summit, what are two milestones you and your time could hit in the next 90 days that move you closer to the summit?
2️⃣ If you lead with basecamps, revisit your greater purpose or BHAG as a company, reaffirm why it matters, and ensure your incremental goals are aligned to it.
Sources to Reference:
➡️ Good to Great by Jim Collins for more on the Hedgehog Concept
➡️ Great by Choice by Jim Collins for more on his successful approach of the 20-mile march
➡️ (Video) Charlie Rose and Jim Collins for more on Collins’ 20-mile march
Our Co-Hosts:
Strategic Thinker. Bold Challenger. Grounded Visionary.
Bonny is a strategist, facilitator, and co-founder of Sidekick Consulting who believes momentum is built in the middle of the mess. With a background as a CMO and over a decade of experience across startup and corporate environments, she’s known for her sharp thinking, no-nonsense mindset, and ability to turn big ideas into grounded action. Bonny brings a calm presence, clear direction, and just the right amount of edge to move things forward—with intention.
People-Centered Leader. Strategic Integrator. Dynamic Optimist.
Nora is a purpose-driven leader, facilitator, and co-founder of Sidekick Consulting who believes that bold and meaningful impact is accomplished when done together. With deep roots in business development and operations, she’s known for her people-first lens and her talent for uncovering insights and ideas that translate swiftly into action, driving both people and performance. Nora brings a rare blend of energy, empathy, and clarity to build momentum that truly matters.
Production by PRCPRN Studio.
Directed by Giuliana DiBonaventura