Higher Ed Leadership Challenge #4: Becoming a Pragmatic Visionary

In modern leadership, strategies shift and challenges evolve... constantly. One timeless leader-superpower is Vision. As leadership scholars have expounded in renowned works like Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and Simon Sinek's "Start with Why," a compelling vision transcends mere plans; it serves as a magnetic force that unites teams, propels innovation, and guides organizations toward success. In fact, if you are about to transition into your first higher education leadership role, you may be singularly focused on how you will develop and implement a vision for your team's success. In this article, I'll delve into some important considerations for a well-crafted vision, and provide some tips to inspire efforts to accomplish even the most challenging organizational goals.

1) Great vision is never formed in a vacuum. First, you need to release yourself from the thought that your title bump will come with some type of crystal ball. If your intention is to do all the thinking, planning, and assessment by yourself, you hold a faulty perception of what leadership is. Strong visions, like relationships, need robust input and engagement from others. This is why the most effective way that I've found to set a vision in an organization is through the process of formal strategic planning. Strategic planning may sound daunting to newly appointed leaders, however, when applied intentionally and holistically, it will guard against pitfalls, provide a unified understanding of the work that must be done, and deliver clear expectations to members of the team. If you would like to jump into a strategic planning process, there are several great resources - this blog post by Meredith Betz is a great quick-take, but if you're looking for a much more robust resource (especially geared for education or non-profit organizations), my "go-to" is this book by John Bryson.

2) Vision must be accessible. The oldest leadership theories were built on the concept that a great man (yes, old leadership theories were incredibly sexist) was born with innate charisma and power. The Great Man Theory, attributed to Thomas Carlyle, spoke of leadership qualities as genetic anomalies and posited that leaders could do little to develop or nurture leadership skills. Though we often consider vision to be a leadership quality, I think of it more as a team superpower. Leaders do not unilaterally create the vision but rather facilitate the creation of a team vision and communicate it in a way that makes sense to each member of the team as it relates to their work. Leaders should routinely engage in conversations about vision, and demonstrate how vision drives the tasks that team members are accomplishing. Sometimes the practice of openly talking through vision can humanize a leader and invite considerations that a leader (alone) may not have considered.

3) Vision must be visited often, but not changed often. As a leader, you have a unique power and responsibility that must always be respected and honored: your words and actions can have a profound, sometimes persisting impact on the professional lives of your followers. When you make choices and relay information to your team, it can sometimes reshape their mindset about a topic. Strong visions allow teams to be steadfast and resilient in the face of adversity, however, they need to have both a scientific and symbolic influence on your actions. If you continually feel that you are revising your vision, you will drive everyone on your team crazy. Vision is like a direction on a compass. If you want to travel from New York to California, you had better spend most of your time going west. Sure, the roads may change, and you will hit small detours during your travels, but if you deviate from your western course too frequently or for too long, you will never reach the Golden State. Frequent revisions to vision are often a symptom of a lack of holistic planning.

As a new leader, reject temptations to become the sole source of strategy for your team. Sure, making decisions by yourself is quicker, often easier, and may occasionally pay off, but important and long-term priorities (like vision) are not meant to be conceived and implemented in a sprint. Take the time to hear from as many voices as reasonably possible, and take the time to get people on the train before it leaves the station!