Should Senior Leadership Teams have their own OKRs?

The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) plays a central role in determining the company’s direction: setting strategy, aligning execution, and ensuring the company succeeds as a whole.

Although these top-level goals are already owned and led by the SLT, I often see companies layering on an additional set of OKRs specifically for the SLT as if it were another department. 

It’s an understandable instinct — after all, many companies create goals by mirroring their org chart. But is it truly necessary? Let’s unpack when senior leadership-specific OKRs help, and when they just add noise.

First, what is the “Senior Leadership Team”?

I’m referring to the group of executives who collectively steer the organization — usually the CEO and other C-level executives (COO, CFO, CPO etc). 

Together they form a team with shared responsibilities beyond their individual functions: defining the organization’s ultimate goal, establishing strategic pillars, and shaping company-level OKRs and KPIs.

When Senior Leadership Team OKRs don’t make sense

Company OKRs are typically annual and reflect the 3–5 top priorities for the entire business that year.

The Senior Leadership Team is by default responsible for these Company OKRs. There’s no reason to set up OKRs for your SLT when they are essentially a recycled version of the Company OKR.

Adding another layer of SLT OKRs can also dilute focus: Every extra OKR layer means more tracking, updates, and meetings — creating unnecessary distraction. 

When the Senior Leadership Team might need its own OKRs

An SLT OKR, by contrast, should only exist if it’s about how that team works together or what that team alone needs to accomplish to enable the company strategy.

That said, there are situations where having senior leadership-level OKRs makes perfect sense — usually when the team alone must drive priorities that cut across functions or strengthen the team itself.

Here are two common examples:

1. Driving cross-company change

When rolling out a major transformation, for example,  rolling out a company-wide cost-cutting exercise, no single executive can own it alone. A senior leadership-level OKR ensures joint accountability.

2. Strengthening leadership alignment

Efforts like improving decision-making speed, evolving company culture, or building more effective communication often require the Senior Leadership Team to act as one unit — and deserve their own OKR.

How Perdoo supports Senior Leadership Team goals

In Perdoo, teams aren’t just a reflection of your org chart — they’re a flexible way to group and organize goals. That means the SLT can have its own dedicated page for cross-functional leadership OKRs and KPIs, giving the executives a clear space to own what only they can drive together. Simply create a “SLT” team in Perdoo and assign ownership to this team. 

Conclusion

OKR is a tool for focus and alignment — not an obligation. If senior leadership-level OKRs clarify shared priorities and make the team more effective, use them. If not, skip them and concentrate on the goals that truly move the company forward.