Guiding Principles for Success and Scale in 2026

Have you ever outlined a clear vision and set strong goals for the year, yet your team still interpreted priorities differently?

This happens far more often than most founders realize.

Vision and goals provide direction, but they do not automatically ensure that everyone approaches decisions, commitments, and daily actions the same way.

Most businesses rush into planning or stop at setting goals, but what really drives aligned decision-making faster is a set of actionable guiding principles everyone believes in and embodies.

There are guiding principles my team and I created for 2026 and these principles form the foundation for everything we prioritize throughout the year.

They also help each person confidently navigate decisions without waiting for oversight.

There is a way to set and use guiding principles in my business, to keep everyone moving in the same direction and allows your business to scale without constant micromanagement.

This involves learning the following:

• The 7 guiding principles for sustainable and scalable success
  
• How principles differ from vision, goals, and values
  
• How to keep your team working in their zone of genius
  
• The “right fit or no fit” philosophy for clients and roles
  
• How to build discernment so you’re not stuck in the day-to-day
  
• How to help your team embody extraordinary excellence

I also unpack this in episode 255 of the Simplify to Scale Show.

Tune into Episode 255 of the Simplify to Scale Show or keep reading below.

Why Guiding Principles Bring Your Team Into Alignment

Many businesses begin planning with actions.

Some define a vision or set goals, yet those goals often do not translate into the actual activities taking place inside the business.

Guiding principles close the gap between intention and execution.

They provide a shared foundation for decision-making.

They help your team understand not only what matters but also how to think about the work they choose to take on.

This creates consistency even when the day brings unexpected tasks or new opportunities.

With clear guiding principles, your team no longer relies on constant clarification because they have the context to evaluate what best supports the bigger picture.

Extraordinary Excellence: A Commitment to Exceptional Work

The first guiding principle for my team for 2026 is extraordinary excellence.

This means being the best in the world at what we do and approaching every decision and commitment with that level of care.

This principle encourages selectivity.

Many teams try to do too many things and end up doing them only partially well, simply because they are stretched thin.

When you pursue excellence, you naturally choose fewer priorities.

You focus deeply instead of broadly.

This kind of principle becomes a filter that helps your team determine what to say yes to and, equally important, what to decline.

Exceptional Quality: Clear Expectations and Strong Follow Through

Our second guiding principle is exceptional quality.

Excellence requires clarity, so this principle reinforces the importance of defined expectations and thoughtful work habits.

Each person on the team commits to:

• Asking proactive questions when expectations or success criteria need clarification

• Reviewing their own work carefully before submitting anything

• Ensuring all acceptance criteria are complete

• Requesting a second review when beneficial for accuracy

This creates a culture where ownership and clarity are the norm.

Quality does not rely on last-minute checks because it is integrated throughout the entire process.

Elite Client Experience: Thoughtful, Personalized Support

Our third guiding principle centers on the clients we serve.

Elite client experience requires thoughtful attention to how each interaction feels, both in group settings and in more intimate engagements.

This includes:

• Anticipating needs by noticing patterns and cues

• Offering personalized support while keeping internal systems reliable

• Adding meaningful moments of celebration, recognition, or encouragement

With a value over volume model, this level of care is achievable and expected.

As the community expands, the same spirit carries into scaled programs by creating touchpoints that feel personal, even with larger participation.

Being the Business You Want to Be: Embodying the Next Level Now

Our fourth guiding principle is being the business we want to be.

For us, that means operating with the standards, discipline, and decision-making of an eight-figure company before the numbers reflect that milestone.

This principle influences how we:

• Make decisions about priorities

• Set expectations for accuracy and follow through

• Evaluate whether an initiative aligns with our long-term direction

• Build systems and behaviors that support sustained high performance

Every major growth milestone in my own businesses has required stepping into the next level early.

This principle ensures that we act as the business we are becoming.

Right Fit or No Fit: Protecting Alignment Across the Business

Right fit or no fit is one of the most important guiding principles we hold.

It applies to team members, clients, systems, and strategy.

For team members, this means:

• Roles align with strengths and zone of genius

• Temporary extra responsibilities are acceptable only as short-term support

• Everyone brings their best and is fully committed

• The business does not accept inconsistent or unclear performance

For clients, this means:

• We welcome only ideal, aligned clients

• We refer out when someone is not a fit

• The business protects its ability to deliver exceptional results

For the business as a whole, it ensures that every decision reinforces alignment.

Nothing operates in a way that conflicts with the future vision.

When people work within their strengths and clients align with your approach, performance rises naturally and the team experiences greater satisfaction.

Laser Focus: Prioritizing What Matters Most

Laser Focus is one of our core guiding principles. It reinforces the need to do fewer things and do them better.

This principle includes:

• Prioritizing the initiatives that create the greatest impact

• Maintaining consistent focus on core responsibilities before introducing new ones

• Refining what already works before adding more

• Limiting distractions so the team directs their energy toward meaningful work

This principle strengthens every other one.

Your team can deliver excellence and quality only when they are not overloaded with unnecessary commitments.

Walk the Walk: Demonstrating the Principles Through Action

Our final guiding principle is walk the walk.

We teach lean scaling, and we practice the same systems and habits that we recommend to our clients.

This includes:

• Leading with integrity

• Demonstrating ownership and accountability

• Applying lean practices within our own operations

• Showing through action what is possible when a team operates with intention

When a team sees principles demonstrated consistently, those principles become part of daily behavior rather than words on a page.

Bringing The 2026 Strategy Together

When these seven guiding principles work together, they form a complete framework that supports aligned and sustainable growth:

• Extraordinary excellence establishes high standards

• Exceptional quality reinforces clarity and consistency

• Elite client experience elevates how clients feel supported

• Being the business you want to be strengthens long-term decision-making

• Right fit or no fit protects alignment and team health

• Laser Focus ensures attention is directed to what truly matters

• Walk the walk creates a culture where principles become lived behavior

These principles guide our team to make decisions confidently and intentionally.

They also support the ability for me to step out of daily operations because my team knows how to evaluate choices in a way that aligns with our strategic direction.

Create Your 2026 Guiding Principles and Roadmap With Us

If you want support creating your plan for 2026, including setting guiding principles, a strategic roadmap, revenue targets, and team priorities, I invite you to join me for our Propel 1-day Virtual Planning Retreat.

You will receive the digital Lean Out Planner, and if you choose to continue inside SOL Collective, you will have a full year of strategic leadership support, monthly conversations, AI implementation labs, and a bonus session on December 2nd. This bonus session focuses on identifying the single number that will guide your financial targets for the year.

You can find details at strategicopsinstitute.com/retreat.

I look forward to supporting you in creating clarity and alignment for a strong year ahead.