Right now, as project delivery becomes more complex and viability is under greater pressure, the difference between success and failure increasingly comes down to one thing:  Have you set a Feat bold enough to rally your team, rise to the challenge, unlock innovation, and perform at your potential?

Big Hairy Audacious Goal.

In 2005, I was leading two lives. By day, I was a Senior Project Manager delivering key parts of Broadgate Tower and 201 Bishopsgate. By night and at weekends, I was volunteering with GB Taekwondo where we were quietly plotting a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG).

After a disappointing performance at the Athens Olympics where GB Taekwondo failed to medal, it was clear something had to change. But instead of playing it safe, we went big. The goal? Not just to win a medal but to become a top five Taekwondo nation within seven years. That meant securing three out of the four Olympic medals on offer — a leap from unranked to elite.

What is a BHAG — and Why Does It Matter?

The term Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) was made popular by business thinkers Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in their 1994 best-seller Built to Last. A BHAG isn’t just a long-term target, it’s a bold, clear, and compelling mission that stretches you beyond your comfort zone. It demands courage, commitment, and conviction.

But the question is why aim so high? Why risk failure by reaching for something that might seem impossible? - Because that’s exactly where transformation happens.

Safe Goals Sustain. Audacious Goals Transform.

It’s easy to settle for safe goals the kind that might happen without real effort. But while standard goals maintain the status quo, audacious goals transform people, projects and businesses.

Ambitious goals do three powerful things:

Inspire Action: People don’t rally behind cautious targets. They rally behind compelling causes. A BHAG energizes teams, fuels innovation, and ignites purpose.

Create Clarity: Big goals force sharp focus. They require bold strategies and deeper thinking — because when you’re aiming high, everyone must dig deep and align.

Drive Transformation: Incremental goals lead to incremental results. If you want a step-change in performance, you need a step-change in ambition. Big goals lift expectations — and in turn, elevate outcomes.

From BHAG to Feat

At Feat Factory, we’ve reimagined the BHAG. We call it The Feat. We help our partners define their Feat — the boldest version of their goal — and then bring it to life through high-performance methodologies and a commitment to execution.

That first Feat — to become a top five nation — was achieved. We won our first Olympic medal within two years. By London 2012, the mission was complete: GB Taekwondo was ranked 5th in the world.

So… What’s Your Feat?

Ask yourself:

• Are your goals bold enough?

• Do they excite and scare you (and your team)?

• Are they truly worthy of the effort it will take?

If not, maybe it’s time to rethink - and raise your ambition.

Ideas to Spark Your Next Feat:

Here are some examples of what a Feat could look like in your world:

• Housing: Transform 1,000 acres of brownfield land into carbon-negative smart cities by 2050.

• Workplace: Develop the UK’s first “workplace wellness campus” – offices built for optimal human health and performance.

• Regeneration: Redevelop 100 high streets across the UK into thriving mixed-use community hubs by 2035.

• Portfolios: Achieve carbon-neutral portfolios by 2035

• Project: Build using 100% reclaimed materials, zero cement, and zero steel by 2030.

• Community impact Create 1,000 “Meanwhile Use” community hubs that support wellbeing, sport, and enterprise by 2032

Set A Feat. Mike It Audacious. Make It Personal. Make It Matter

And when you do — share it with us online here, or email us at info@featfactory.com

We’d love to hear the ambition behind your next Feat and help you achieve the extraordinary.