Forget resolutions and try this 5-step New Year’s guide for leaders

As the new year approaches, resolutions often take center stage—personal promises to exercise more, save money, or pick up a new hobby. For leaders, resolutions can feel overused and weighed down by countless failed attempts to “stick to the plan.”

Instead of rigid resolutions, I propose setting intentions.

Intentions are value-driven and adaptable, serving as a north star for a company’s direction. Similarly, I advocate for milestones over traditional benchmarks. While benchmarks can feel too prescriptive for broader goals, milestones break ambitious journeys into achievable steps that keep teams motivated.

In today’s fast-moving world—especially with rapid advancements in AI and data—companies need flexibility and focus. A thoughtful intention paired with actionable milestones provides the foundation for growth, alignment, and resilience. Here’s how leaders can set intentions that inspire their teams and begin the new year on the right foot.

Step 1: Start with purpose

Every meaningful intention begins with a clear purpose. Why does your company exist (beyond making money)? What problem are you uniquely positioned to solve? Without purpose, intentions risk becoming hollow or uninspiring.

When I joined GrowthLoop, redefining our purpose was one of the first steps we took. The executive team collaborated to shape our guiding principles and presented several options during a town hall. There, we conducted a live vote to select the final version: “Unleash the growth potential of the world’s most innovative brands by closing the loop between people, data, and AI.”

This exercise reconnected us with the emotional core of our business. Leaders struggling to define their purpose should go back to their company’s origin. The answer often lies in the stories of your earliest challenges and triumphs.

Step 2: Set intentions, not just goals

Goals are outcome-focused—achieve X revenue, launch Y product. Intentions, by contrast, are value-focused. They guide decision-making and behavior, leaving room to restrategize in an uncertain world.

At Google Canada, we intended to “make the web work for Canadians and Canadian businesses.” This wasn’t a specific goal but a guiding principle that shaped everything from product development to government relations. It allowed us to adapt while staying aligned with our mission.

Intentions also create accountability. When teams set intentions together, they commit to outcomes and the values behind them. This shared accountability strengthens cohesion and empowers teams to hold each other—and their leaders—responsible.

Step 3: Define milestones, not benchmarks

Traditional benchmarks—like revenue targets or retention rates—are essential for measuring success. But they can sometimes lead to an overly narrow focus on one metric at the expense of broader progress.

I like to track smaller, measurable milestones, too, because they provide real-time insights into progress. Think of looking at “anec-data”—analyzing anecdotes alongside data.

For example, rather than relying solely on traditional, backward-looking metrics like quarterly revenue, we prioritize indicators like customer feedback and product usage patterns. These include reviews on platforms like G2, customer support cases, and recorded sales calls, which signal how well our products meet customer needs.

By analyzing actionable insights in customer sentiment and engagement, we can identify opportunities for improvement before they’re reflected in revenue or market share, especially as a new year begins.

Step 4: Make it a group effort

Intentions are most powerful when they’re collaborative. Engage your team at all levels to “build in” a shared sense of purpose rather than “buy-in” to a plan pushed down from the top.

At GrowthLoop, we involved employees across the organization to finalize our intention. The town hall vote wasn’t just symbolic—it ensured everyone felt ownership over the result. This collective effort created enthusiasm and accountability, as everyone saw themselves as contributors to our shared vision.

When people feel connected to the company’s purpose and have a role in shaping its direction, they’re more likely to unleash their energy and creativity to achieve it.

Step 5: Reflect, adjust, and celebrate

A company’s intention isn’t set in stone. It’s a dynamic guide that requires reflection and adjustment throughout the year. Regular rituals like weekly check-ins, quarterly reviews, or all-hands meetings create opportunities to assess progress and recalibrate as needed.

Personally, I conduct weekly check-ins with myself to evaluate how I’m progressing against my intentions. On a company-wide level, quarterly business reviews provide a structured framework for reflection. These sessions allow teams to celebrate milestones, address challenges, double down on the projects that work, and adjust the efforts that aren’t.

Celebration is critical. We hold “World’s Fair” meetings to spotlight wins, big and small. These moments of recognition keep teams motivated and reinforce the joy and value of the journey, not just the destination.

Looking ahead

As you think about guiding your company in the new year, consider setting an intention instead of a resolution. Root it in a shared purpose, make it collaborative, and define actionable milestones to track progress.

If I could offer one additional piece of advice to leaders setting their first company-wide intention, it would be this: step outside of your usual perspective. This means seeking input from within your leadership team and from a broader group of voices—your employees, customers, and other key stakeholders such as partners, investors, or community members. Take the time to listen to their needs, challenges, and aspirations.

Setting aside personal biases and preconceived notions allows you to build intentions that reflect collective values and priorities. The most powerful intentions are not dictated from the top—they’re cocreated through meaningful engagement.