10 reasons why the journey in business matters more than the destination.

By Gry Tømte

Navigating business can often feel like a constant pursuit of never-ending targets, goals, and milestones. The stakes are high, and the expectations even higher.

You, as the leaders, are in charge of it all, and responsible for the outcomes.

So, in this high-stake business world where there’s often a lot of pressure to “keep smashing your goals”, I wonder if sometimes the journey itself gets lost…

I started my coaching business, Profit + Purpose Concept to be able to help business owners not just hit their goals - but also enjoy the process!

One thing that always struck me early on in my business career was just how much time I spent focused on hitting set targets and milestone revenue figures (because after all, that’s what the industry said success was….)

And just how short lived the success felt when I did!

And just how miserable I was in the process.

It was like everything was unimportant apart from that momentary high of reaching a goal. But then I realised in one of my moments of refusing to get out of bed for 2 days as I’d missed an “important” goal) that business is actually 95% the journey of getting there - and only 5% celebrating reaching the top…

Because there’s always a different goal or milestone we’re striving to reach. Blink and you’ll miss those moments…. Right?

So, it got me thinking of the difference between the pursuit of goals vs the pursuit of growth.

Let’s look at what the differences are first, and then I’ll give you my opinion on which approach I now take…

The Difference Between Being GoalsFocused and Growth-Focused

When we embark on any endeavour, be it leading a business or pursuing personal passions, we’re often confronted with two guiding lights: goals and growth.

While both play crucial roles, understanding their unique attributes, especially in the context of leadership in a people first context, is super important!

Goals Focused:

Being goal focused is like setting a destination on your GPS. It provides a clear endpoint. A target to strive for.

It provides;

Directional Clarity: Goals offer a tangible objective. Just as a lighthouse guides a ship in turbulent weather, goals help steer organisations and individuals towards a defined outcome.

Measurability: Goals offer quantifiable metrics of success. Did we reach the sales target? Have we acquired the desired number of new clients? Tangible measures (KPI’s) like these allow for an assessment of short-term accomplishments.

Motivation: Goals can serve as potent motivators. They offer a challenge, a mountain to conquer, infusing teams with a sense of purpose and adrenaline.

And here’s where things get interesting…

Focusing solely on goals can sometimes overshadow the very people who are meant to achieve them. The race to the finish line can become so intense that we forget why we started running in the first place.

So, let’s look at how we can change the approach slightly and look at a different perspective…

Growth Focused: Being growth focused is about the journey more than the destination.

It’s taking the scenic route - where every twist and turn, ups and downs, is valued for the lessons they give us access to.

Continual Evolution: Growth is not bound by the rigidity of endpoints. It’s fluid, ever evolving, ensuring that learning and developing new offerings never stops.

Embracing Failures: While goals might label setbacks as failures, growth celebrates them as learning opportunities.

It’s the difference between saying “We failed” and “We learned.”

Nurtures Culture: A growth mindset fosters a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and collective progress. It places people at its heart, valuing their holistic development.

Goals are what we want to achieve, but growth is who we become in the process.

Remember, as leaders our role isn’t just to guide our teams to a predefined target (like reaching a $200 average spend per hour) - it’s to inspire, nurture, and elevate them by encouraging selfreflection and a pursuit of constant progress.

It’s not just about meeting quarterly numbers or achieving annual targets; it’s about creating an environment where every individual feels seen, heard, and valued.

Where the process of striving for a goal enriches us, moulds us, and makes us better human beings.

In the end, goals are important. They give us direction.

But growth?

Growth gives us purpose, depth, and a legacy. And when we prioritise people, ensuring their growth and well-being, we’re not just ticking off achievement boxes; we’re crafting stories, stories that will inspire, resonate, and endure.

So, the next time you set a goal, ask not just what you aim to achieve, but who you and your team will become in the process.

Because, to channel the culture man himself, Simon Sinek, life, business, and leadership is an infinite game.

It’s the journey, the growth, and the people by your side that truly matter.

My 10 reasons to advocate for a growth focused mindset in business and life.

Of course, I know you’re your own person and I’m not here to tell you off for having goals!!

But here’s my list of 10 arguments FOR adapting a growth focus in your life and business based on my own experience.

1. Sustainability

Goals, while essential, are transient landmarks in a journey. Once achieved, they can create voids - almost like to post- holiday blues after coming back from a beautiful destination.

In contrast, growth is the journey that keeps on giving because you can celebrate the pit stops along the way.

It shifts our perspective from short-lived, fast achievements - to an enduring legacy. Consider Apple.

Beyond specific product launch goals, their sustained growth, focus much more on continuous, constant innovation and customer experience ensures their market leadership.

2. Resilience:

In today’s unpredictable environment, a singular focus on goals can make us susceptible to unexpected challenges. A pursuit of growth promotes adaptability and resilience. By valuing growth, we are better prepared to handle difficulties, using them as opportunities to learn and pave the way for future successes.

3. Holistic Development:

Imagine being gifted a beautifully wrapped box containing a single puzzle piece. Whilst a present’s a nice thought…. ehm…., it’s an impossible task to complete the picture. Goal-centric approaches can sometimes offer that kind of a piecemeal growth.

In contrast, a growth focused approach provides the entire puzzle, letting us see the bigger picture. It advocates for well-rounded development, ensuring that we’re not just masters in our niche but also capable, adaptable beings in diverse scenarios. Companies like Google, with their ‘20% time’ initiative, encourage holistic growth, allowing employees to work on passion projects outside their primary job scope.

4. Cultivating a Positive Culture:

Drawing from my personal fave leadership thought leader, John C. Maxwell’s teachings, it’s evident that true leadership isn’t about directing but connecting.

Goals focused environments can inadvertently foster a culture of competition, where success is a win only one can achieve at any given time. Growth focused environments, on the other hand, drive collaboration. They nurture ecosystems where success is collective, fostering environments where every individual’s growth contributes to the greater good. This collaborative spirit ensures higher team morale, loyalty, and shared success.

This is why I always personally advocate for combining team and individual targets!

5. Mitigating Burnout:

In today’s hustle culture, burnout is a genuine, worldwide concern. The relentless pursuit of one milestone after another can lead to exhaustion, both mental and physical. By valuing growth over hitting those perfect milestones, we learn to celebrate small victories, relish moments of reflection, and truly nurture well-being.

At HÜD, one of our biggest assets is our daily use of our team Slack channel “Wins”. Having a reflective outlet where people can celebrate their own wins and achievements, as well as their teammates’ means there’s a constant focus on daily small achievements and making progress. Our 1-1’s are always used as an opportunity to reflect on where we are in the journey of continuous improvements.

6. Nurturing Innovation:

Imagine if the Wright brothers’ goal was just to create a machine that moves faster on land. We might have missed the marvel of flight! A growth-oriented approach encourages looking beyond the obvious, questioning the status quo, and daring to dream the ‘impossible’. By fostering a culture of growth, we ignite the flames of curiosity and creativity, paving the way for groundbreaking innovations.

It’s ok, safe, to admit we don’t have it all together just yet - that we haven’t yet hit the “pinnacle”and there’s plenty of room for trial and error.

7. Long-term Vision:

In the corporate world, like in our industry, Quarterly or monthly earnings reports can dictate strategies. While these short-term goals are vital, an overemphasis can overshadow long-term vision. Adopting a growth focus is like planting a forest, not just a single tree. It’s about cultivating enduring structures that resonate beyond immediate gratifications. Consider brands like Tesla, which, beyond profitability goals, are driven by a vision of sustainable energy, ensuring their relevance and leadership for years to come.

Our industry is primed for long term impact way beyond short term goals. We just need to define them!

8. Deeper Fulfilment:

If goals are the chapters, growth is the entire story. While achieving goals offers moments of celebrating and high fives - embracing continuous growth provides a continuous pursuit of joy and feelings of fulfilment - both to ourselves and the client and teams we impact.

9. Flexibility:

In our dynamically evolving world, rigidity can be an Achilles’ heel. Being solely goal-focused, people might find themselves ill-equipped to adapt to abrupt changes.

Hello Covid!!

Growth, with its emphasis on learning and adaptability, means we can adapt and refine the journey because the goals are not the only destination.

Take for instance my own business, in 2020 we had decided to open a second clinic, and we also had a pretty robust revenue target in place. And then…..Boom. Shut down for the better part of a year.

If we had goals focus rather than a growth focus, we would have failed miserably. Because there’s no way we could hit those goals.

Instead, we were able to be agile, rethink how we measured success (surviving with the whole team being supported through the entire period) we could re define the journey and focus on the right things.

10. Authentic Leadership:

In the words of Simon Sinek, “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.”

A growth focus resonates deeply with this philosophy. Authentic leadership is about coaching, guiding, and evolving together.

By prioritising growth over single goals, leaders ensure that their leadership style is not transactional but transformational. Leaving positive imprints on their teams and incredibly, leading to a higher likelihood of objectives being achieved

Let’s wrap this up…

As we wrap up this exploration of goals and growth, let’s take a moment to reflect (after all, reflection is literally the key to growth!)

In the vast expanse of business and life, where does the gold lie?

Is it with the fleeting satisfaction of goals achieved? Or with the fulfilment of continuous growth?

Both have their place, but the magic, I believe, is how you blend the two.

Champion growth.

Make it your mantra, your ethos, your daily practice. But don’t abandon goals.

Let the goals be the milestones in your growth journey.

The pit stops on the way towards an endless series of mountain tops - there isn’t just one peak.

In this infinite game of business and life, let growth be a compass.

Navigate with purpose, lead with empathy, and remember to enjoy the journey.

For all coaching and advisory enquiries, please check out Gry’s profile on linktr.ee/ grytomte

grytomte