Cast Vision Like Your Future Depends On It
When high priorities are ignored, a price is paid—disobeying traffic rules, failing to compensate employees on time, not filling up with gasoline, failure to get up for work. A leader like you, however, is one who carefully chooses priorities. With a myriad of daily choices before you, which priorities rise to the top? Where do you begin?
Casting Vision
“There is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success than an attractive, worthwhile, achievable vision for the future, widely shared.” - Burt Nanus, Visionary Leadership.
There is a true story of one young pastor who planned to officiate a funeral of a war veteran. The deceased’s military friends wished to play a part in the service at the funeral home, so they requested that the pastor lead them down to the casket, stand with them for a solemn moment of remembrance, and then lead them out through the side door. This he did. But, unfortunately, due to lack of preparation, he picked the wrong door, walking the procession into a broom closet, in full view of the mourners, causing a hasty retreat covered with confusion.
The priority of vision cannot be overstated! Leaders know where they are going, and casting that vision is a leader’s first priority. It is the starting point of the journey. Vision focuses, inspires, and touches the heart; it becomes the criterion against which all behaviors are measured. “Leading a company without having a long-range vision for it is like driving a car looking at only the rearview mirror,” writes Steven Brown.
Elon Musk had a vision for a global wireless network; the Japanese National Railways had a vision for a high-speed passenger rail; the Apostle Paul had a vision of evangelizing the known world. These and countless others conceived something in their hearts before they produced something with their hands. Vision is a mental picture of the future that is unique, realistic, compelling, and empowering. It is a vivid portrait of tomorrow, custom-made for each team. What is your vision? Is your team inspired to join the effort?
Your vision provides a working grid for moment-by-moment decisions, sharpening focus and keeping the middle of the journey from bogging down. Don’t confuse it with “purpose” (or what some call “mission”). Purpose is an overarching statement of why the vision exists. Many organizations share a common purpose, but it will be expressed and achieved in different ways through the strategies they will employ, how quickly they plan to accomplish their objectives, and their audience. How often do you refer to your vision statement? Does anyone else in your leadership team regularly do it?
In a survey conducted by Industry Week, the most important of several organizational concerns was demonstrating the importance of vision in leading today’s groups. “Forward-looking” ranks considerably high over decades of surveys, ranking second only to honesty. This is vision! It occurs on almost every list of principles and practices of leadership, and your people want to see it, hear it, and be shown how to fulfil it.
You as a leader point to a vision that mobilizes people and coordinates their efforts into a single, coherent ideal. This purpose reflects the passions and dreams of the leader. Studies also show the increase of buy-in and implementation through the input of team members in its formation. How often do you invite and integrate others’ ideas?
Since vision can be intuitive and purely personal, a key question for a rising leader is, “What mission in life absolutely grips you?” The seasoned leader can consider, “What can I tweak in my vision to get excited about it again?” And then, prepare to relentlessly chase that vision!