Lead With an Inspiring Vision For the Future
A wise leader creates a vision for the development of his or her organization. In doing so, human energy and creativity are coordinated and channeled toward common projects. When everybody pulls in the same direction at the same time, extraordinary things happen.
King Solomon, a leader synonymous with wisdom, says: “Without a vision, people perish.”
A wise leader engages his co-workers through understanding and involvement. Collectively, the organization builds an inspiring and comprehensive vision of possibilities. Such a vision includes and inspires everyone around them, including suppliers, clients, and the general public.
The important questions are: What kind of world do we want to create? What should be our role in the market? What kind of reputation do we want to have? Questions like these bring about a deeper connection to purpose and reality that we all need. A leader’s personal vision has a great impact in this process.
Solomon says: “A wise man thinks ahead.”
A leader’s personal vision stretches over a lifetime and includes all of life’s important areas: family, health, work, and leisure. The beautiful thing is that we all have the creative capability to imagine the future; to see the possibilities that lie ahead as we are looking towards our future through eyes of faith. We see our family prospering, being in good health and full of energy, our company creating greater value, and our leisure filled with excitement. It is in our dreams and visions that we cultivate what we ultimately reap through the process of development.
All things are created twice: First inside, in our thinking, and then outside, in our doing. When we dream of the future and establish goals and plans, we are in the process of the first creation.
When we put the dreams, goals, and plans into action we activate the second creation. The first creation is like the blueprint of a house before it’s built. The second, the physical creation, is when we actually are engaged in building the house.
Solomon says: “Look straight ahead; don’t even turn your head to look.”
Vision is holding in our mind’s eye a clear picture of a desired and preferred future. We seek something important to strive for and be inspired by, we look to accomplish something worthwhile.
In this vision of the future possibilities, of what can be, we create the fuel to motivate people to give of their best to make the vision a reality.
An inspiring and integrated vision, based on underlying governing values, allows us to feel that our life has a purpose and a meaning. It affects our thoughts, our actions, and how we prioritize our time. The vision becomes the driving force behind everything we do.
Solomon says: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when dreams come true at last, there is life and joy.”
It is important to regularly affirm and evaluate the established plan. A wise leader regularly gathers his or her team and assists the team members to gain perspective of what is happening now and how it fits into the big picture. They examine what is working well and what needs to be improved in order to move ahead.
Most things worth striving for take time to achieve. With a clear and focused vision the desire and determination grow stronger and concentrate the human energy to persevere.
Solomon says: “Plans go wrong with too few counselors; many counselors bring success.”
A realistic and all-inclusive, established vision moves the process ahead. We gain our co-workers’ trust and cooperation by acknowledging and building on common values, needs, interests, hopes and dreams.
Bringing out the things we share as a group, we become secure in our roles and can see each individual’s strengths as a resource for the development of the group. With this security in the group we can use each other’s competence in new ways, which will lead to development.
Solomon says: “Dreaming instead of doing is foolishness, and there is ruin in a flood of empty words.”
A leader looks to the past as well as to the present and the future in order to establish and shape an inspiring vision. She or he will transform past experiences into positive input to support visualizing a successful future. Together, we want to create a better world and we continually seek opportunities to contribute our unique abilities.
It is the responsibility of every leader to show how the vision may be realized, to focus on measurable and attainable common goals tied into individual ambitions and action plans. With an inspiring vision, supported by governing values put into action, we are creating the future we want.
To become a wiser leader:
- Let your actions and your time be guided by an inspiring vision.
- Communicate and share the vision.
- Involve your coworker in the creating of your common vision.
- Transform the vision into reality.
- Practice what you preach.
Questions to reflect upon and exercises to support your vision:
- How do you see your market developing in 3-5 years?
- What do you want your organization to achieve and become in 3-5 years?
- Where is your organization today? What strengths have brought you to where you are today? What additional strength do you have?
- What do you need to develop to move you toward your vision?
- Summarize and draw/write down a positive and challenging vision of the future for you and your organization. It can be a combination of growth, profitability, contributing to society in large and building a better world.
- Involve your team in co-creating a common picture for the future. Present the questions above and ask everyone to draw/write down their answers. Let each team member give his or her picture/view and be sure to create an honest dialog. After listening give your own picture/view and then ask for everyone’s reflection.
- Summarize and draw/write down your common, positive and challenging picture of the future.
- Create action steps to take the process further? What is most important to do in the short term?
Remember, this is a communication process built on asking the right questions, not having the right answer. It is the leadership approach of the future.
Words have a miraculous power. Yes, words possess their own magic. The words we are using in our relationships can evoke feelings of happiness or sadness, enthusiasm or hopelessness. They can cause life and health or discouragement.
