Diary of a Leader: The Secret to Turning Team Goals into Success
- Lindsay Sheldrake
- Jan 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 4
Welcome to "Diary of a Leader" - Real Stories, Leadership Lessons, and Personal Growth
Ah, leadership! The thrilling, heart-racing journey of ups, downs, and all the delightful chaos in between.
Welcome to "Diary of a Leader," where I don’t just share the good, the bad, and the downright awkward moments of leadership—I also guide, mentor, and empower you to navigate your own leadership journey with confidence and purpose.
Leadership is more than a role; it’s a responsibility to grow, inspire, and help others reach their potential. So, as I reflect on my lessons learned, my goal is to equip you with the insights and tools to lead with clarity, authenticity, and impact.
And Today, I’m Teaching a Leadership Lesson About Turning Big Goals Into Weekly Wins
Here’s a reality check: as a leader, your team isn’t just looking to you for direction—they’re looking to you for strategies that help them succeed. Setting bold, inspiring goals is one part of leadership, but empowering your team to actually achieve those goals is where the real work begins.
One of the most effective ways to ensure your team not only hits their goals but thrives while doing so is the 13-week sprint method. It’s a framework I use regularly, and I’m here to tell you why it should become one of your standard leadership practices too.
But let me be honest—I didn’t come to this realization easily. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way by not completing my quarterly goals. I’ve felt the frustration of last-minute scrambles and the disappointment of falling short. That experience is exactly why I’m so passionate about teaching others how to do it differently.
This approach isn’t just about productivity—it’s about teaching your team how to plan, prioritize, and take ownership of their goals in a way that feels manageable and achievable.
Why Leaders Need to Implement Quarterly Sprints
Goals are the foundation of progress, but without a plan, they’re just ideas. The beauty of the 13-week sprint is that it breaks big goals into smaller, actionable steps, giving your team a clear path to success.
Why does this matter for leaders? Because teaching your team how to approach goals systematically doesn’t just help them hit targets—it builds their confidence and develops their skills. These are the future leaders of your organization, and empowering them with tools like this is one of the best ways to prepare them for what’s next.
And here’s another powerful benefit of 13-week sprints: it’s a hack borrowed from project management. Weekly check-ins become a cornerstone of success. These check-ins allow you to:
Hold each other accountable.
Offer support and guidance.
Ensure the entire team stays on track.
Here’s where the Agile project management strategy comes in: If someone can’t complete their task for the week, they can pull up another item to keep progress moving forward. This flexibility ensures that no time is wasted, and momentum continues to build across the sprint.
A Framework for Leaders to Teach
Let me walk you through how I mentor my team on this. To make this relatable, I’ll use one of my own goals as an example: completing Roles & Responsibilities for all team members, along with establishing a regular cadence of one-on-ones.
Here’s how I teach my team to break it down using the 13-week sprint:
Step 1: Define the Finish Line
Start with clarity. The finish line is the result you’re working toward. In this case, the finish line is having clear, actionable Roles & Responsibilities and a structured schedule for one-on-ones.
Ask your team:
What does success look like?
How will we measure it?
By defining the end goal together, you’re teaching them to think strategically and align their efforts with the bigger picture.
Step 2: Assess the Current State
Week 1 is where it all begins. I show my team how to evaluate the current state by answering these questions:
What do we already have in place?
What’s missing?
What obstacles might we face?
For my goal, the current state included:
Basic job descriptions for all roles.
A partially developed performance management tool.
By walking your team through this exercise, you’re teaching them the importance of starting with an honest assessment. It’s a skill they’ll use over and over again in their careers.
Step 3: Break It Down Week by Week
Here’s where the magic happens. The 13-week sprint isn’t about tackling everything at once—it’s about making steady, consistent progress. I teach my team to break the goal into smaller milestones, ensuring each week builds on the last.
For example:
Weeks 2-4: Draft Roles & Responsibilities for operational roles.
Weeks 5-8: Collaborate with sales and finance stakeholders to refine the drafts.
Weeks 9-10: Gather feedback from the broader team.
Weeks 11-12: Finalize and communicate the plan.
Week 13: Celebrate progress and reflect on lessons learned.
Breaking it down this way teaches your team how to approach big challenges with a clear, manageable plan.
Step 4: Build Accountability and Collaboration Into the Process
Here’s the critical piece: ownership, accountability, and teamwork. Weekly check-ins during the 13-week sprint are where the magic really happens.
These check-ins create an opportunity to:
Track progress and address any roadblocks.
Collaborate as a team to find solutions or adjust priorities.
Pivot when needed. If a task can’t be completed, pull up another one to keep the momentum going.
This Agile-inspired flexibility ensures the team stays focused and engaged while maintaining steady progress toward the goal.
Why This Matters for Future Leaders
The 13-week sprint isn’t just a productivity tool—it’s a leadership development tool. When you teach your team how to break down goals, prioritize effectively, and stay accountable, you’re equipping them with skills they’ll use for the rest of their careers
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Here’s the ripple effect: Your team doesn’t just hit their goals—they grow in confidence, capability, and leadership potential. And when they see the results of their efforts, they’re more engaged, more motivated, and more prepared to take on bigger challenges in the future.
Wrapping Up (Because Time is Precious)
Here’s the takeaway: as a leader, your job isn’t just to achieve goals—it’s to show your team how to achieve them too.
By implementing 13-week sprints, you’re not just improving productivity—you’re mentoring the next generation of leaders. The added layer of weekly check-ins ensures accountability, collaboration, and support, keeping your team aligned and focused.
Catch you next time, fellow leaders-in-training—and remember, great leadership starts with teaching the tools for success.
Stay tuned for more reflections and lessons from the trenches of leadership in the next installment of
"Diary of a Leader"
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