Use my six-step plan to create your Leadership Career Roadmap and never feel lost again!

What is your overall leadership goal? Clarity is so important – if you don't know where you want to be in the future how can you get there? Now, for some people this may be something that will be happening as the next step in the next few months, but for others it will be about thinking about where you'd like to be in the next 3-5 years?

Next, I want you to grab a large piece of paper and write down your leadership career goal in the middle of the paper. Be really descriptive and detailed when writing down your goal – what level do you want to be at, what kind of organisation, what sort of impact are you having, how much do you want to earn, etc. If you're struggling with this then go back to step one.

Now we have to dive into the sub-groups that will work together to achieve your main goal! Think about these questions...

⭐ Experience – thinking about your overall goal is there a gap in your leadership experience for example, have you managed large teams or projects? How much strategy work have you done. Identify what you're missing.

⭐ Skills – are there particular skills you need to develop in order to be shortlisted for your ultimate leadership job? Identify particular skills you are going to need.

⭐ Brand – how can you build your reputation in your field? This sub goal could be about being perceived as an expert or specialist, or it could be becoming known for delivery, efficiency, growth, innovation, or performance.

⭐ Personal Development – what do you need to work on in order to achieve your leadership goal? – this could be confidence, presence, networks, etc.

⭐ Personal – this is personal to you but could be working more flexibly, getting better work life balance, or getting more enjoyment and satisfaction from work and home.

⭐ Job Search mindset – how are you going to approach the external job market? What is your job search strategy? What shape is your CV and LI profile in? How do you feel about interviews? How can your network help?

Focus on the most important 4 – 6 subgroups for your main leadership goal and arrange them on your mind map around the main goal, which is in the centre of your paper. These will act as your little 'coffee breaks' on your way to your main destination!

Now, break down the subgroups into actionable tasks that you can work your way through to get you one step closer to your main goal. For example, suppose one of your subgoals is to get more opportunities to influence at a senior level. In that case, one of your actions may be to talk to your current manager about projects you can lead on that involve working with senior stakeholders or opportunities to present to the C-suite.

Now set yourself timescales so that you can measure your progress without feeling overwhelmed by the whole process.

Now you have your leadership career roadmap and you should feel more motivated and believe you're able to reach your big leadership goal – whether that be in 5 months or 5 years!

Need a co-pilot? Get in touch to have a chat about The Ambition Plan programme designed to fast-track your leadership journey.