Ronald Reagan once said:
“Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is being carried out.”
As business owners, we often focus on setting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for our teams. KPIs are essential, they provide clarity, accountability, and measurable progress. But here’s what many forget: KPIs should cascade from the top down.
If you expect your team to measure their performance, you must first measure your own. So, what does success look like for you as a leader? I believe there are three core performance indicators every business owner should track. Let’s explore each one.
1. Common Goal
Your first gold star is alignment. Does your company have a clearly defined common goal? More importantly, does every single person in your business know what that goal is?
You’d be surprised how often business owners assume alignment, only to discover a dozen different answers when they ask their team what the company’s main goal is.
If you have a written, communicated, and explained common goal that you’ve reinforced in the last quarter, congratulations, you’ve earned your first gold star.
2. Right Team
Your second gold star is about people. Do you have the right team to achieve that common goal?
Here’s a tough question: If you had to let everyone go today and rehire from scratch, how many of your current team members would you bring back? Would you rehire yourself?
Every role in your business should be filled by someone who is both accountable and capable. If work is flowing to where it gets done rather than where it should be done, you may have recruitment gaps or structural issues.
Hiring and managing talent is one of your most critical roles as a leader. If you can confidently say you have the right people in the right seats, give yourself your second gold star.
3. Right Activities
Your third gold star is about focus. Are the right people doing the right activities to move the company toward that common goal?
Do you have systems to ensure this? How often do you review them? Are you tracking both outcomes and activities for each team member?
Remember: A team hitting their KPIs doesn’t automatically mean the business is hitting its goals. Alignment between activities and outcomes is key.
If you’re confident this alignment exists, you’ve earned your third gold star.
The Spark
Now, take a step back and reflect on your answers. Are you working on the business or in the business?
Your role as a leader is not just about managing tasks, it’s about creating clarity, building the right team, and ensuring focus on the right activities. Earn those three gold stars, and you’ll be well on your way to scaling sustainably.
If this made you pause and think about whether your business is truly aligned, don’t ignore it. Let’s talk about what’s holding your growth back and how to fix it. Book your free strategy call today.
Next steps…
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