The Influence Audit: How Top Performers Set Goals That Actually Stick
As we close out the year, the familiar ritual begins: setting new goals. Again, it feels like we just did this. After a year full of market shifts, new regulations, and nonstop noise, it’s easy to wonder: is there a better way to do this?
The truth is, most people set goals based on what they hope to achieve, not the behaviors that actually create results. Hope-driven goals fade fast. But behavior-driven goals stick.
This year, instead of writing another list of targets, try conducting an Influence Audit, a practical, reflective process that identifies which habits, relationships, and systems truly moved the needle for your leadership, your team, and your business.
Ask yourself:
· Who did I impact this year, and how did that provide real ROI (Return on Influence)?
· Which customers, colleagues, or partners contributed the most to growth, innovation, or efficiency?
· What relationships helped us move faster or think clearer?
Influence always leaves evidence. Look for it in the form of trust built, partnerships deepened, or processes improved. Those are your multipliers.
The Pareto Principle is alive and well in every organization: 20% of actions produce 80% of outcomes. So, what made the difference this year?
· Was it a specific team or initiative that overdelivered?
· A new process that created efficiency?
· A behavior that turned potential into performance?
Once you’ve identified the high-impact 20%, study it. What mindset, environment, or decision unlocked that success? Influence grows when you understand its root cause.
Leaders often spotlight success briefly and move on to the next challenge. That’s a mistake. Let your high-performing teams and individuals teach what worked. Have them present their wins, lessons, and shifts in behavior to others. When you extend the spotlight, you expand ownership and influence spreads organically across the culture.
With insight from your audit, now you can set goals that actually matter. The question isn’t, “What should we do next year?”
It’s, “Which behaviors and beliefs created our biggest wins and how do we multiply them?”
Tie every new goal back to:
· Engagement: Does this goal make our team more connected and motivated?
· Efficiency: Does it simplify or streamline how we work?
· Impact: Does it drive measurable ROI, Return on Influence?
When you link goals to behaviors, results stop being random. They become repeatable.
Results without behavior change are just words on paper. The most successful leaders don’t chase goals, they audit their influence. They study what actually worked, celebrate it, and then scale it.
Before you plan another year, pause. Look at your impact.
Because the best goals aren’t about doing more, they’re about doing what matters most, on purpose, repeatedly.
Master the Art of Influence: Build Trust, Drive Sales, and Lead Effectively
Are you ready to become the magnetic force that attracts top performers and your best customers?
I’m Kevin Sidebottom—keynote speaker, sales trainer, and author—and I help organizations unlock the power of influence to achieve breakthrough results.
In this blog, I reveal why influence is the ultimate currency in business and leadership—and how you can use it to:
✅ Motivate customers to stay loyal and buy again
✅ Build trust and engagement with your team
✅ Transform your leadership approach to inspire stronger performance
With decades of experience studying why people buy and how leaders earn loyalty, I equip sales professionals and executives to deliver lasting value, strengthen customer relationships, and drive higher revenue.
👉 Featured Resources to Grow Your Influence:
· Email: kevin@kevinsidebottom.com
· The Sales Process Uncovered Membership
· The Sales Process Uncovered (Book on Amazon)
If you’re serious about elevating your sales process, leadership impact, and team performance, this blog will show you the path.
Leadership and Change
In today's fast-paced business environment, change is inevitable. Whether it's due to new technology, shifting market trends, or internal restructuring, businesses must be prepared to adapt and evolve. However, change can be challenging, and without effective leadership, it can lead to chaos and resistance. In this blog post, we'll explore why leadership is essential for change in a business.
Vision and direction: Effective leaders provide a clear vision and direction for the organization. They are forward-thinking and able to anticipate changes in the market or industry. By setting a clear vision and direction, leaders can help the organization move from here to there with great levels of engagement.
Talent management: Change can also impact the organization's talent. Effective leaders are able to identify the skills and talents needed to navigate change successfully. Effective Leaders also focus on building high levels of influence with their reports so engagement remains high during the changing environment. Without influence leaders are not going anywhere.
Trust and teamwork: Change often requires trust and teamwork. Effective leaders are able to build high trust teams and foster collaboration among employees. They encourage open communication, constructive feedback, and a willingness to work together to achieve shared goals. Some top leaders also focus on getting their teams out of the office to build comradery and trust with multiple different ways. Escape rooms, BBQ’s, operation adventure courses, etc are some examples of this.
Leadership is essential for change in a business. Leaders provide vision and direction, manage change, foster innovation and creativity, manage talent, and encourage trust and teamwork. By having strong leadership in place, businesses can navigate change successfully, adapt to new challenges, and thrive in a constantly evolving business environment.
“Businesses wonder why it is still hard to be thought of as the brand of choice with the best customers and top employees. How can our business make more profitable transactions and stay out of the commodity battle with low profits? How can we land and keep top talent in our organization with the salary wars. Kevin teaches your sales and leadership teams how to build the key ingredient to be successful with their relationships and take your goals to the next level with high levels of engagement.
Kevin’s website: www.kevinsidebottom.com
Kevin’s email: kevin@kevinsidebottom.com
The Sales Process Online Membership Site
https://www.kevinsidebottom.com/pricing-page
The Sales Process Uncovered Book
https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Process-Uncovered-Success-Influence/dp/0578421518/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8XUM4QL2RC6M&keywords=the+sales+process+uncovered&qid=1673274567&sprefix=the+sales+process+uncovered%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1