Goal setting - From Coxswain to the C-Suite

As 2026 rolls in, it is the perfect moment to reassess our goals, but how many of us actually follow through? According to a recent YouGov poll, only 28% of people fully achieve their New Year’s goals, and a staggering 35% have already given up by January. The struggle to stick to resolutions is not just personal, it is one we see in both the athletic and business worlds.

We spoke with Alexandra Wenyon, our Head of Global Marketing at Friisberg, and former Paralympic GB coxswain, about how she built goals as an athlete, and how that framework can be applied in the workplace:

As an athlete, I honed a framework for setting and achieving goals that kept me accountable, focused and motivated. I have successfully adapted these principles to my work in the business world and applied them to the world of executive search. Revisiting goals every six months helps me track progress, recalibrate where necessary, and ensure alignment with my long-term goals.

Coxing, Goals and Leadership

For a coxswain, you guide, you decide, and you stay composed when everything around you is moving fast. Behind that composure was a goal-setting framework that kept Alex grounded and performing at her best: Bronze, Silver and Gold goals.

Bronze Goals – The Everyday Habits

These are the practical, daily actions that allow you to show up and perform:

• Meal-prepping to fuel properly
• Packing kit and work bag the night before
• Keeping fuel in the car for early drives
• Keeping notes from previous sessions or meetings
• Writing a daily to-do list to stay on track
• Booking time off in advance for training camps or racing
• Bed by 10pm latest (earlier with an early start)!

These small, consistent habits are the foundation for bigger achievements, both on the river and in the office.

Silver Goals – Tactical and Leadership Milestones

Silver goals sharpen your craft and your leadership:

• Nailing a specific race or client presentation and taking a note of what went well and what could be improved
• Studying race plans or the latest market trends
• Collaborating with support staff or stakeholders to gain a full understanding of each athlete so she can push their limits
• Deepening technical knowledge of equipment or products
• Strengthening relationships with teammates or media contacts

These are the targets that improve performance, refine skills, and build credibility.

Gold Goals – The Big Dream

Gold goals are the ultimate outcomes, the reason you are doing all of this:

• Winning Henley, winning a key client
• Representing GB, securing coverage in national press
• Competing at World Cup level, leading campaigns at international events
• Paralympic selection, achieving high-impact business milestones
• Enjoyment! Make sure you enjoy what you do, otherwise, what's the point?

“Bronze goals enable silver goals, which make gold goals achievable. The same applies in the boardroom as it does on the water.”

Translating Sport to the C-Suite

Elite sport holds many parallels with leadership:

• Requiring clarity in uncertainty
• Precise communication
• Anticipating challenges
• Decision-making with imperfect information
• Earning trust through consistency
• Team motivation

Great leaders, like great coxswains, rely on a structured approach to goal-setting. The results speak for themselves.

The Reality: It Was Not Always Easy

There were days I operated on pure commitment and very little sleep, leaving London for early morning sessions, working full days afterwards, and spending nearly every hour of annual leave on training camps. Burnout was real, funding was limited, but my ‘why’, my gold goals, always brought me back.

Final Thought

Whether in the boat or the boardroom, goal-setting is a layered process. Bronze goals create the habits, silver goals develop the skills, and gold goals define the ultimate outcomes.

The lesson is simple: show up every day, sharpen your craft, and never lose sight of the bigger picture.