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Vision is a strange concept. It's much more than just a goal or purpose. Goals simply state what we aim to achieve. Visions paint a fuller picture describing our most cherished dreams, hopes and possibilities. 1. Seeing Possibilities. The ability to see possibilities that others don't see is one of the hallmarks of great leaders. Where most of us see just a consignment of goods, leaders see an exciting product that can change someone's life. Where most of us see an office with space for desks and filing cabinets, leaders see a place where teams can do groundbreaking work. Where most of us see people with names and titles, leaders see budding organizational champions. As George Bernard Shaw said, 'Some people see things as they are and ask 'Why?' I see things that are not and ask 'Why not?'' 2. Clear and Compelling. Management writer Warren Bennis was fascinated by the ability of leaders to see what the rest of us can't see. A few years ago, he carried out a study of 90 top leaders in the United States. They included the first man to set foot on the moon, Neil Armstrong. What Bennis discovered was that, despite their different backgrounds, disciplines, and circumstances, these people all had one thing in common: a clear and compelling vision of what they wanted to realise. To them, the vision wasn't at some point in the future. It was right in front of their eyes. 3. A Vision Without Limits. The truly great leaders don't put limits on their vision. They go for the biggest dream they can imagine even if it is only realized at some time in the future when they are no longer around. There is a story about the filmmaker Walt Disney who died six years before the opening of the first Disney World. At the opening ceremony, two Disney executives were sitting together. One said, 'Too bad Walt couldn't have been here to see this.' The other replied, 'You're wrong. Walt did see it. That's why it's here.'. While most of us see no more than three months ahead, outstanding leaders can see several years ahead. Elliott Jaques of Brunel University believed that one person in a million can see 20 years ahead. The Japanese industrialist Konosuke Matsushita even has a 250-year plan for his business. 4. Drawing Others In. Leaders do more than have a vision of what is possible; they articulate it and draw others in. They do this through metaphor, images, and by triggering the innate desire of all people to be part of something big. Compare the visions of the two leading soft-drinks companies in America in the 1920's. One was a Boston-based company called Moxies. Their stated aim was 'to sell herb-based drinks'. Nothing to get excited about there. The other company's vision was 'to quench the thirst of a nation'. That company was Coca Cola. Today, nobody remembers Moxies. 5. Action. Without action, visions are just dreams. They are creations of our imagination, no more. But with action and the ability to see the steps from where we are now to where we can be, dreams become reality. In Shell UK, managers are taught to develop a quality known as 'helicopter vision'. This is the ability to see across three time zones of the future, as if in a hovering helicopter. From here, you can see the near plains, the middle range foothills and the distant peaks. Being able to see all three zones at once harmonizes your tactical actions, your operational planning and your overall strategy. There is a clear map to the realization of the vision.
We all dream but few of us remember our dreams let alone act on them. But leaders are different. They make a difference to our daily lives and our collective lives. They do this by capturing our dreams, nurturing them with care, and in the fullness of time helping us bring them to the glorious light of day.
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More Articles:1. Becoming An Effective Executive PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required. Mail to: eagibbs@ureach.com In his book, The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker pointed out that the effective executive is the person who focuses on making a contribution. This focus on the making of contribution … 2. Budgets that Damage - The Downsides of Making the Numbers By Martin Haworth In my organisational career, I had budgets from the age of 22 to 47. I lived and breathed them and many times, budgets, the gospel that they were, caused havoc, albeit within the corporate retailer framework that I worked.Here are two examples of the damage caused.Example OneTypically budgets were initially discussed in January, just after the Christmas rush. They were always dependent on year-on-year sales growth and at the time in question, individual businesses were not expected to delive… 3. Catastrophic Events = Business Purchase Opportunities By Mark Smock As a buyer, everyone likes to get “a deal”. Finding a bargain often means being at the right place at the right time, whether intended or by fate. Finding a lucrative opportunity to buy a business that is for sale because of an unexpected catastrophic event requires a disciplined approach.As a business buyer, you often need to use “creative” means to position yourself to get the first, if not the only, shot at a promising business acquisition candidate. You need to explore as many ways as you … 4. Who Me, Difficult? Yes, You! By Pat Wiklund We all like to think we are easy to get along with. We don't make our co-workers lives difficult. But, chances are, if you find some of your co-workers hard to work with, someone will find you a challenge, too.You are not a challenge because you intentionally decided to be. In fact, the attributes and skills you consider to be your best strengths may be the very ones someone else finds difficult to deal with.See if you can find yourself in one (or more!) of the following profiles:* You c… |
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