skip to Main Content

What’s Your BHAG – Big Harry Audacious Goal

What’s Your BHAG – Big Harry Audacious Goal

In the book “Built to Last” the authors James Collins and Jerry Porras coin the term big, hairy, audacious goal (BHAG). Do you have one? Have you shared your goal? Are you afraid to do that? If so, why? If not, what is it and who do you need to help you?

Here’s my BHAG

My idea is that if we ran a contest to find, first, the top ten fastest-growing socially responsible companies, then supported them with the best complementary team of innovators, they would grow even faster; then I would have them pay a percentage of their additional earnings and learnings forward and . . . help another group of 10, and keep the waves going until you get to the sixth wave and you have helped one million socially responsible leaders and their affiliated companies.

With this focus you would achieve the goal of “doing well by doing good.” These companies would: 1) hire employees with similar and complementary values, 2) grow their “noble causes” more effectively, hit “The Triple Bottom Line,” and, then, 3) pay their learnings and a percentage of their additional earnings forward. The problem with our world today is people think it is an “Either-Or” world versus a “Yes-And” World. With this model you would have provided the greatest good for the greatest number. And it’s a sustainable model.

Now, it’s your turn, please share your goal. I would like to see my vision come true within the next five years. A starting point is declaring my goal. I am very willing to work with companies that fall into the category of “socially responsible.” To that end I have two companies that I am currently getting ready to work with to help them take their business not one, but two levels up.

Additionally, whenever I help an organization it usually involves working with them to publish some kind of book to help them lead their market. When I make any money through publishing support, I take half of my profits and put them back into my organization to help it grow to help more people. I also have a new initiative called Leadership 20-29.

What is Leadership 20-29?

This is an initiative I created to help 20-29 year olds get what I call “Smart Starts” in their lives. I have two sons of my own and with this tough economy my younger son, a writer (he interned at Rolling Stone) is doing well as a freelancer but it is a tough career path; my older son is pursuing a career in urban planning. That is a great career but it takes a long time to establish yourself. I know first-hand the need for support for this age group. Besides coming out with my latest book, “Graduate to LinkedIn” I plan to do a lot of mentoring and supporting those in their twenties to get better starts in life and, in return, ask them to “Pay-it-Forward” (their new wisdom that is) to two other peers within twelve months of receiving support from Networlding. If you know of anyone in this age group who needs help, please send them this way. We’ve got lots of e-products and other tools we can offer at a low-cost or no cost.

So, what is your BHAG? What help do you need achieving it?

Back To Top