"The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet." - Theodore Hesburgh
Vision is central to effective leadership. A leader’s vision is his passion. Leaders are constantly striving for the achievement of their vision. Leaders adopt challenging visions, driven by passion… this inspires others to commit to the journey… they inspire others to volunteer their energies to make it happen. Consider the following…
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
If a leader is to inspire and enlist others to their cause, they will need an effective vision. This means leaders must be clear about “What is a vision?” and “What makes a vision effective?” Burt Nanus in his book “Visionary Leadership” defines vision as:
“… a realistic, credible, attractive future for your organization. It is your articulation of a destination toward which your organization should aim, a future that in important ways is better, more successful, or more desirable for your organization than is the present.”
So how do you know if your vision is effective? Burt Nanus provides the following characteristics of powerful visions:
Appropriateness: “They are appropriate for the organization and the times. They fit in terms of the organization’s history, culture and values, are consistent with the organization’s present situation, and provide a realistic and informed a assessment of what is attainable in the future.”
Challenging: “They set standards of excellence and reflect high ideals.”
Set Direction: “They clarify purpose and direction. They are persuasive and credible in defining what the organization wants to make happen… They provide agendas that create focus and hold out hope and promise of a better tomorrow.”
Inspirational: “They inspire enthusiasm and encourage commitment. They widen the leader’s support base by reflecting the needs and aspirations of many stakeholders…”
Understandable: “They are well articulated and easily understood. They are unambiguous enough to serve as a guide to strategy and action and to be internalized by those whose efforts are needed to turn the vision into reality”
Unique: “They reflect the uniqueness of the organization, its distinctive competence, what it stands for, and what it is able to achieve”
Ambitious: “They are ambitious. The represent undisputed progress and expand the organizations horizons.”
Review your company and team vision:
Vision is central to effective leadership. A leader’s vision is his passion. Leaders are constantly striving for the achievement of their vision. Leaders adopt challenging visions, driven by passion… this inspires others to commit to the journey… they inspire others to volunteer their energies to make it happen. Consider the following…
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
If a leader is to inspire and enlist others to their cause, they will need an effective vision. This means leaders must be clear about “What is a vision?” and “What makes a vision effective?” Burt Nanus in his book “Visionary Leadership” defines vision as:
“… a realistic, credible, attractive future for your organization. It is your articulation of a destination toward which your organization should aim, a future that in important ways is better, more successful, or more desirable for your organization than is the present.”
So how do you know if your vision is effective? Burt Nanus provides the following characteristics of powerful visions:
Appropriateness: “They are appropriate for the organization and the times. They fit in terms of the organization’s history, culture and values, are consistent with the organization’s present situation, and provide a realistic and informed a assessment of what is attainable in the future.”
Challenging: “They set standards of excellence and reflect high ideals.”
Set Direction: “They clarify purpose and direction. They are persuasive and credible in defining what the organization wants to make happen… They provide agendas that create focus and hold out hope and promise of a better tomorrow.”
Inspirational: “They inspire enthusiasm and encourage commitment. They widen the leader’s support base by reflecting the needs and aspirations of many stakeholders…”
Understandable: “They are well articulated and easily understood. They are unambiguous enough to serve as a guide to strategy and action and to be internalized by those whose efforts are needed to turn the vision into reality”
Unique: “They reflect the uniqueness of the organization, its distinctive competence, what it stands for, and what it is able to achieve”
Ambitious: “They are ambitious. The represent undisputed progress and expand the organizations horizons.”
Review your company and team vision:
- Does your vision exhibit the characteristics of a powerful vision as described above?
- What change do you need to make to ensure your vision is more powerful?
