The prerequisite for effective leadership is vision.
Without Vision, I believe humans are left blowing aimlessly in the wind—rudderless in turbulent water. We will connect the importance of vision for effectiveness and the value of a visionary leader in any organization. To me, it starts with personal Vision.
The first task is alignment with professional and organizational relationships and responsibilities in any company for many reasons. If the Personal Vision is not in alignment from the start, how can there be a success? The dilemma is that most do not have a personal vision, let alone a written vision Statement – I think you know where we are going by now!
Sometimes in my business coaching experiences, I have seen others mock an individual who dares to share their Vision for themselves for the future. This requires conviction and courage, and to be brave enough to share this personal, intangible truth with others is daring – only to be shot down and mocked is disheartening.
I believe this happens because most do not have a vision. They are drifting, reacting to what is around them, and painfully doing nothing to reset the course and enjoy a fulfilling life. It is all they know. They lack a support network, courage, adaptability, the desire to change, and the Ability to do it, so they drift into misery. They must drag others in the crab pot to boil together only to be eaten!
Yes, that was intended to be overly dramatic, but we know it is true. If you don't have a vision of your own, you are only living someone else's Vision. Think hard about that one.
If you don't have a vision of your own, you are only living someone else's vision.
Jeffrey A. Rogers, CPMBC
Think of Vision as your unique guidance system, a GPS that keeps you on course and free from all the shiny objects. These shiny object distractions derail us on our journey, depriving us of our true purpose and why we exist. They steal the impact we could have on others and those we serve.
If the assumption is the root of all communication evil, distraction is the thief of Vision, purpose, and impact. This is big stuff, yet it gets minimized by the weeds of the day-to-day!
Let's frame it up a bit together.
What are the main characteristics of a vision? Research on visionary leadership suggests that visions have five characteristics: a picture, a change, values, a map, and a challenge (Nanus, 1992; Zaccaro & Banks, 2001).
A visionary is someone with a strong vision of the future.
From this above information, I see real value in applying vision to personal, professional, and organizational life. Here again, we can identify that alignment is vital to success, yet most do not work for alignment proactively and on the front end.
To be a Visionary has value, and to be a head-in-the-clouds dreamer may not have as much value. Here again allows art and science to enter the equation personally, professionally, and organizationally. There is a lot to this, it is not easy, and this is why most do not do it!
I like to believe people like to know where they are going. A simple idea, but if it is true, this implies they want to be led competently in the correct direction. They also require intentional guidance and feedback to ensure they stay on course and do not wander with distraction.
But why do leaders not engage in this principle? I maintain the weeds suck them in! They get lost in the day-to-day. They work hard, but get lost.
Interestingly, the visionary leadership style was first introduced and described by Daniel Goleman in 1995 with his book Emotional Intelligence. He introduced the world to EI here, and today we value his work. At the time, maybe not so much – he had Vision.
Today we add AI (no, not artificial intelligence): Adaptability to the equation. Why? It turns out that Visionary leadership is legendary for the Ability to uncover hidden trends in the marketplace and position their organizations for future success. This is not by chance but by intentional effort. Visionary leaders are free from the weeds and are intentionally aware of what is around them.
More importantly, Visionary leaders translate this information into action for future success. They are experts and connect the dots, understanding correlations and developing the next right action steps for success. These Visionary leaders are innovators and they are creative problem-solvers. They do not stop when obstacles identify themselves. Instead, they thrive on solving the problem.
As with any style, there are pros and cons, and let's explore them together.
| JRCI Pros of Visionary Leadership |
| · Natural Ability to inspire others |
| · Persue long-term action |
| · Respects the team and trusts them to do the job |
| · Provides big-picture thinking |
| · Empowers others |
| · Provides focus and priority |
| JRCI Cons of Visionary Leadership |
| · Often fail to communicate the Vision Effectively |
| · Often lose track of the day-to-day operations |
| · Can sometimes not be realistic |
| · Sometimes gets too in front of the team |
| · Other's ideas can be discounted |
| · May not always listen well |
I wanted you first to understand the benefits of vision in your world. The ability to uncover hidden trends circling around us is the main benefit to consider from my vantage. There are many, but for now – uncover hidden trends.
This concept informs us - One with Vision is out of the weeds, in the helicopter, and aware of happenings around them. They have the courage to reflect, awareness of their strengths, integrity to engage authentically, and courage enough to stand alone if required to harvest the results of the Vision.
My big idea here is that Vision is a critical prerequisite for effective leadership success. You will go nowhere if you cannot envision where you want to go with clarity. That simple. Distraction abounds around us – focus on Vision is your friend. Be the one-degree and execute your Vision for success personally, professionally, and organizationally.