50 Best Personal Development Goals for Leaders (Ultimate List)

As a leader, you’re never done learning. Personal development goals for leaders should hold you accountable to your level-up journey.

But where do you even start? If you’re unsure what skills to develop as a future leader, you’re in the right place.

Here are the 50 best personal development goals for leaders and why they are so important.

What is Personal Development in Leadership?

Personal development in leadership means cultivating the skills needed to take you from where you are to where you want to be as a leader. 

This could look different for everyone. Personal leadership development is about looking inward and recognizing the skills needed to take you to the next level in your career.

Personal Development Goals for Leaders

Personal development goal setting is a key part of leadership planning. And personal development goals fall into several categories. 

Here are 5 personal development goals for leaders we’ll cover in this article:

1. Personal growth goals focus on your development as a human, not just a professional.
2. Confidence goals help you build the belief in yourself needed to make tough decisions as a leader. 
3. Communication goals focus on building the verbal and nonverbal skills needed to lead with confidence.
4. Leadership development goals help you target the skills to become a more effective leader. 
5. Education goals can help you address your knowledge gaps. Let’s break down the list of personal development goals for leaders. And how they can help you become a better version of yourself.

Most importantly, personal development goals should be SMART.

SMART goals are — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-sensitive. 

Personal Growth Goals

1.	 Develop your self-awareness
2.	 Practice self-care often
3.	 Address your mental health concerns
4.	 Get a therapist to address past trauma 
5.	 Improve your ability to handle stressful situations 
6.	 Adopt a more positive mindset  
7.	 Eliminate the unnecessary distractions from your life 
8.	 Accept rest as part of your productivity routine
9.	 Address the toxic relationships in your life that are holding you back
10.	 Start journaling to improve your ability to self-reflect 

Confidence Goals

1.	Develop your self-advocacy skills at work and in life
2.	Practice body positivity and accept the skin you're in
3.	Grow comfortable promoting your work and ideas
4.	Stop apologizing unnecessarily
5.	Practice speaking up in situations that concern you 
6.	Improve your body posture while sitting and standing 
7.	Practice maintaining good eye contact during conversations
8.	Repeat positive affirmations to yourself daily 
9.	Practice asking for what you want directly 
10.	 Set proper boundaries in your relationships 

Communication Goals

1.	Use your words to uplift others
2.	Speak life over yourself, goals, and aspirations
3.	Practice positive self-talk
4.	Improve public speaking skills 
5.	Develop facilitation and presentation skills
6.	Practice positive body language at work
7.	Improve your elevator pitch
8.	Devote time for networking each month 
9.	Address your social anxiety if necessary 
10.	Practice sharing feedback respectfully 
 

Leadership Development Goals

1.	Develop a big-picture mindset
2.	Practice accepting negative feedback without taking it personally
3.	Develop active listening skills
4.	Become more effective at leading meetings 
5.	 Improve your emotional intelligence 
6.	Grow comfortable in spaces where people are different from you 
7.	Improve your decision-making skills 
8.	Practice taking initiative at work
9.	Build relationships with leaders in your field 
10.	Devote time each month to perfect your craft 

Education Goals

1.	Invest in your ongoing self-education 
2.	Learn skills today that will set me up for success tomorrow
3.	Develop an understanding of where the future is heading in your industry 
4.	Read at least one new book each month
5.	Subscribe to 3 new industry newsletters 
6.	Sign up for a new training each quarter 
7.	Attend an industry-specific conference this year  
8.	Develop a new skill each month 
9.	Study the trends happening in your field each week
10. Read an article on personal development each week 

Personal Development Goal Setting

Don’t let setting personal development goals intimidate you. Hopefully, this list helps you get started. Remember that goal setting is the easy part. 

But following through with your goals will take serious work. Let us be a part of that journey. 

Join our NetWerk community for instant access to our Free Career Center with dozens of career guides, templates, and checklists to set you up for success!

Over to You

What personal development goals are you working on this week? Let us know in the comments @netwerkmovement. And share this with 3 people who need it.