PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN 2026

Welcome to Episode 335 of the Walking Leader Podcast with your host David Guerra.

In this episode of The Walking Leader Podcast, we continue to take this opportunity to talk about setting YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN 2026. Still early in 2026 and it is a great time to look at what your professional development goals are for this year and beyond.

In this episode, Dave will share with you:

• Why Professional Development Matters in 2026
• What Are Professional Development Goals?
• How to Approach Setting Professional Development Goals
• Examples of Professional Development Goals for 2026
• A Professional Development Challenge Just for You
• and some helpful resources for you (see below).

In the mean time, REMEMBER TO KEEP GOING BEYOND THE GRIND & KEEP GOING BEYOND THE HUSTLE AND BREAK FROM THE CROWD TO BE A LEADER WITHOUT EQUAL BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO BE THE WALKING LEADER!

Reference Material Mentioned In This Episode:

Goal Setting & Examples
• Coursera article on professional development goals with detailed examples and how to frame them. What Are Professional Development Goals? 10 Examples + How to Set Them (Coursera) 

• Paymo list of professional goals with actionable patterns which includes networking and role growth examples. 9 Examples of Professional Goals for 2026 (Paymo)

• Creately guide to professional development goals shows both technical and soft skill goal examples. Professional Development Goals With Examples (Creately) 

 Goal-Setting Frameworks
• MasterClass guide on setting measurable professional goals — good for structures and deadlines. Guide to Setting Professional Development Goals (MasterClass)

• Cornell University career planning tips — focuses on long-term career intent and SMART goal creation. How to Create a Professional Development Plan (Cornell Career Services) 

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I invite you to take about 25 minutes and listen to the Episode 335 of the Walking Leader Podcast. Enjoy!

Music in this episode:
Music from https://filmmusic.io
"Sweeter Vermouth" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)