Where is Your Business Heading in 2022?

Cathie Leimbach • January 4, 2022

You have likely thought about where you wish your business to head in 2022. But have you thought about HOW it is going to get there? 


A wish without a plan is just a dream.  Our default approach tends to be to continue doing what we have always done, which gets the same results as we have always been getting. If your wish is to achieve different results in 2022, it is necessary to be intentional about doing work differently.  


You may not see how you can take a day or two to develop a 2022 plan for your business.  However, spending a few hours to outline your business strategy for the year is essential if you really wish to achieve more during the 12 months ahead. 


First, write down how you will measure your business success this year. What dollar amount of revenue or profit are you aiming for? Choose an amount that balances your desire for growth with what is realistically possible.  You may wish to measure your success by the number of clients you retain or the number you gain. Employee morale or employee retention might be one of your success factors.  If you list several potential metrics, select the 1, 2, or 3 that you will focus on for the year. Achieving desired results requires us to focus on our priorities. If we give equal attention to more than three priorities, we dilute our energy and resources so much that we will be lucky to achieve even one of these important goals.


Second, review last year’s business practices and consider what you will continue and what changes would be beneficial.

  • Write down actions you will continue doing to support this year’s success. 
  • Jot down the actions you will stop doing, the things you did last year that hindered your success or won’t help you achieve the success you want in 2022.  For example, maybe you were spending five hours per week developing relationships in an industry you haven’t been serving. Despite your diligence, not only did you not get clients, you didn’t even get leads. It might be best for you to stop pursuing clients in that industry.
  • Jot down actions you will start doing. What new activities do you think could help you achieve your 2022 goals? For example, what industries are you currently serving well? In which of them is the market not saturated? Perhaps you should be devoting your relationship development efforts here.

 

Third, review your priority goals and the actions you think you might stop or start. Decide one, two, or three of these changes that could have significant impact on achieving your priority goals and are feasible to implement in your organization. Perhaps there is one thing you will stop doing and two things you will start doing.  Just as we dilute our efforts too much if we focus on more than three business results, we will have little success in changing our actions if we focus on changing our behavior in more than three areas. 

 

Fourth, determine how you will monitor your progress towards achieving your priority goals and making critical changes. Decide how and when you will report progress to your team.

 

Fifth, communicate your brief business plan to all members of your team. Share your one to three priority goals and your one to three areas of change. Most people are resistant to change so it is important to change just a few things at a time. Maintain stability for you and your team members by continuing with several of your most effective business practices from recent years.  Follow through with your monitoring and communication plan all year long so your team members see the benefits of doing the hard work involved with change and focusing on desired organizational goals.

 

Best wishes for 2022 to you and the work and people you lead!

The Leadership Problem Most Companies Don’t Address

By Cathie Leimbach • May 19, 2026
Many organizations assume their biggest challenges are rapidly changing technology, customer retention, and employee initiative. But quite often, the root cause is people leadership problems. That’s one reason The Imperfect CEO by Jim Brown is so timely. Releasing today, May 19, the book explores how leaders build healthier organizations not by pretending to have all the answers, but by creating cultures grounded in trust, clarity, accountability, and meaningful conversations. Brian Besanceney, Chair, Board of Orlando Health, Inc., described the book this way: “Through vivid stories, real-world examples, and a model grounded in collaborative culture, Jim Brown gives leaders permission to wrestle honestly with the generational divides, misaligned targets, and cultural fractures that can too often sabotage high-potential organizations.” Greg Apple, CEO of Amgine.ai, connected the book to leadership beyond business alone: “In a fast-moving company, culture is everything. Jim Brown’s principles have helped our team lead with greater clarity and alignment. The Imperfect CEO distills those lessons brilliantly. Every leader should read it.” What stands out to me is how closely this book aligns with the principles behind Conversational Management. Healthy cultures are rarely built through policies alone. They are built through the quality of everyday leadership conversations — how expectations are clarified, how accountability is handled, how feedback is delivered, and how trust is strengthened over time. That’s why leadership development cannot stay theoretical. Culture changes conversation by conversation.  The Imperfect CEO is an easy-to-read business fable that illustrates common people leadership challenges and provides suggestions for overcoming them. Order your copy today and start building healthier leadership conversations inside your organization.

Why Some Companies Attract More Job Applicants Than They Need

By Cathie Leimbach • May 12, 2026
Chick-fil-A restaurants often receive far more job applications than they have openings. This is not luck. It is leadership. People apply where they believe they will be treated well. At Chick-fil-A, employees experience respectful communication, clear expectations, and leaders who support their success. That reputation spreads quickly through word of mouth. Leaders in these restaurants do simple things well. They ask questions before they assume. They listen to employees. They provide encouragement and clear direction. They notice good work and address problems in a helpful way. As a result, employees feel valued. They enjoy coming to work. They tell others. That is what attracts more applicants. Many organizations focus only on hiring. Strong organizations focus on how people are treated after they are hired. When leaders create a workplace where people feel respected, supported, and clear on what success looks like, something powerful happens: People stay. People perform. And more people want to join. This is what leadership really is. Would you like to see several leadership and culture practices Chick-fil-A uses to attract and keep quality employees? Click here to view: How Chick-fil-A Attracts Quality Applicants