Why is Vision important for leadership? Welcome to the last of my three part series on leadership, which I define as "holding the vision, the partnership, and people demand accountability." Over the last two articles I explored the areas of accountability and partnership. This time, I'll take a look at the key leadership: creating and keeping alive a convincing picture of the future state of the organization. In other words, a vision.
If, as you read this, your organization does not provide you with a compelling picture, one that stimulates your health seriously, your leaders are not effective leader.
If you are the leader of an organization that has no business vision you helped create, that excites you and everyone around you, and you are "holding" while you are leading an organization that has focus insufficient.
What is my job as a leader?
Look at the definition of leadership above. Your main job is to "maintain" the vision. What is "holding" takes full responsibility for the task of keeping the vision alive, day after day. How do you know he is alive, is that people are always happy, inspired and committed to its realization. If they are stressed, tired, overworked and resigned, they have lost. It is sure to set everything must resolve to bring people around you return to this state of excitement and inspiration - to reconnect with the vision.
How can you do that?
- The first part, but not easy, it's simple: start a process to encourage people to create a compelling picture of the future of the organization not only attractive to customers, suppliers and investors, but also inspiring and empowering those who work in it.
- Develop a plan that meets the vision and efforts of each concentrate solely on his performance. A vision is in its infancy, a whole set of words until it is translated into action and results, nothing has changed.
- Now is the difficult bit! Living, breathing and a model of vision every day. Successful leaders never assume that their organization is "on board" with the vision - they go on and on about this subject. This is not the detail from day to day, is the main task of management.
- Focus on overcoming the obstacles to achieving the vision. Do not make people's jobs for them or drive them to do their work, clear the way for them to do their work effectively.
What makes an inspiring vision?
great visions, and effective leaders, rattle cages. They are radical, which contrasts sharply with the current view, and with the past. They demand attention. The question is: "What are we building here?" And the answer is not marginal, "more", "best", "above" are not words that are inspiring or visionary, but those who are rooted in the past. You can do 'better' if you base your goals on what you've done! Goals by themselves are not exciting. A great vision provided by a great leader is, and attracts people both the leadership and vision.
Who are these visions?
(Answers at end of article).
1. To have a computer on every desk.
2. A man on the moon and safely return to Earth by the end of (this decade).
3. All men will be judged by merit of their character and not by the color of their skin.
4. Low prices, low costs
5. To become the most competitive business world by being number one or number two market share in all activities of the company is in.
However, these examples can not you turn - they were designed by and for people they were intended to attract. That's where we're doing here - the visions on paper does not work! You need to breathe life into them at your own passion.
Posted on June 24, 2010.
