8. The Incredible Quality of a Leader – Vision

“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion — Jack Welch”

Vision is the most important aspect of leaders. Leadership is the ability to concentrate on the most important aspects of self or business, such as what you want to achieve and what type of leader you aspire to be. Your vision can incorporate lessons from your past, present realities that must be addressed, and your future aspirations.

Visionary leaders are great communicators, they communicate with clear objectives and expectations. Great leaders regularly interact with the team through questions and what they need to achieve with their best work. Clear vision is being able to see the large picture as well as all of the elements that make it up. A leader may make important judgments about how to move forward by knowing how things operate — or don’t work. Their vision should also help them to motivate individuals to work toward common goals that benefit the company as a whole. There is a wonderful story on a vision that goes like this. Monty Robert was the son of a horse trainer and moved from stable to stable, from ranch to ranch, training horses. The boy’s schooling was constantly interrupted. One day his teacher asked him to write about what he wanted to be when he grew up. He did not hesitate and wrote a seven-page paper about his aim to be the owner of a horse ranch. It was a detailed paper with the location of buildings, stables, and even a house plan. Two days later he received his paper back with an “F” on the front page. After class, he asked his teacher why he received such a low score. The teacher told him, “This dream is unrealistic for a boy like you, who has no money, no resources, and who comes from an itinerant family. There is no possibility that you will reach this goal.” Then the teacher offered him the opportunity to rewrite the paper with a more realistic attitude. The boy went home and asked his father how he should respond. His father told him, “This is a very important decision, so you must come to your own conclusion.” After several days, the boy brought the same paper to his teacher. No changes were made. He told his teacher to keep “F” and I will keep my dream. Monty Robert went on to own a 4000 square foot house in the middle of a 200-acre horse ranch. He framed the paper he wrote and hung it over his fireplace. This boy had a crystal-clear vision of what he needed to achieve in his life, he wrote the same thing in his test with a clear house construction plan where he wanted to build his house and horse ranch. He had a strong belief and clear vision and he could clearly write and explain with objectives, the boy didn’t care about the belief of his teacher, he went on to work on his goals, and finally, he achieved them.

A forward-thinking leader can be key to the success of a growing company. Visionary leaders are individuals who guide a business toward positive change and increased momentum through thoughtful, long-term decision-making. Leaders inspire team innovation by developing a vision of a shared common goal. A successful visionary leader also develops the team’s foundational values, such as persistence and discipline. As opposed to more regimented forms of leadership, this style can increase creativity and morale as well as encourage members to grow their individual skills.

Sustain Your Vision: Once you have developed a vision, you can focus on sustaining it. These tips will help you

· Revisit your vision from time to time and keep it updated.

· Communicate your updated vision regularly to the team to instill motivation, loyalty, and alignment.

· Ground your vision in reality and tie it to the organization’s culture and values.

· Follow through with the promises expressed in your vision.

· Remain hopeful during challenges to set an example for the employees.

Visionary leaders can unite a company with a powerful common goal. They can align departments and individuals from many perspectives. This sense of unity can help build strong relationships among team members and the leader. Further, these strong relationships can strengthen teamwork and help them reach their goals with less conflict.

Visionary leaders share six common characteristics that can often propel them and their businesses towards success. These qualities include:

Respect: Visionary leaders should respect their team and their ideas. Respect helps teams feel comfortable creating and using new processes. Teams that receive are more likely to respect their leaders.

Trust: Visionaries who trust their team to follow their vision, and teams, who trust their leader to support their ideas, can avoid time-consuming micromanagement and enjoy improved rapport.

Creativity: Not only do visionaries promotes creativity, but they also possess it. They find creative ways to achieve and imagine goals rather than relying on common methods.

Flexibility: Visionaries change and adapt to new circumstances as they work towards their goals. Flexibility allows visionary leaders to incorporate new ideas into their processes and change course when challenges arise.

Communication: Communication is essential to visionary leaders, as these leaders must effectively communicate their goals to create alignment. If there is progress or change, they must make sure they update the involved stakeholders so the team can adjust as needed.

Courage: Visionary leaders are willing to take calculated risks to achieve goals. Thoughtful research and consideration enable them to confidently take these necessary risks.

Positivity: Visionary leaders inspire their team by displaying optimism and resilience in the face of obstacles. They recognize that setbacks are both normal and an opportunity to unite the business.

Here are a few important steps help you to become a visionary leader

1. Define Your Vision: You must have a clear idea of your vision, and how it relates to the future of your company. Research trends within your company and industry to identify how your company can progress. Identify new goals and steps you and your team need to take to get there.
2. Create a Sense of Purpose: Communicate your vision and process to your team. Help team members understand their role in achieving the goal and remain assured to explain how their contribution will advance the initiative when delegating tasks.
3. Motivate your team: Your team must believe in your vision as much as you do. Make sure they understand the benefits of the goal, as this can increase the chances to achieve it. You can also motivate your team by setting attainable goals, rewarding hard work, and recognizing individual efforts.

Adjust Your Goals as Needed: As you work toward your goal, you may discover new information that can help you improve the process. You may also encounter obstacles that require a new strategy to overcome them. Flexibility is key to achieving your vision.

This learning is taken from the book “The Ultimate Leadership in You” by Sreekanth Ganeshi. This book is available in Amazon https://amzn.eu/d/bKrWjqG

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