Vision is the world’s most desperate need. There are no hopeless situations, only people who think hopelessly. – Winfred Newman
As the story is told, about 350 years ago, a shipload of travelers landed on the northeast coast of America. The first year they established a town site. The next year they elected a town government. The third year the town government planned to build a road five miles westward into the wilderness.
In the fourth year the people tried to impeach their town government because they thought it was a waste of public funds to build a road five miles westward into the wilderness. Here were people who had the vision to see three thousand miles across an ocean and overcome great hardships to get there. But in just a few years they were not able to see even five miles out of town. They had lost their pioneering vision.
As you observe your current work environment do you find yourself lacking that “pioneering” vision? Is creativity stifled? Is there a clear path forward or are you drifting without a purpose? According to a Monster.ca poll among workers approaching retirement and new hires, they share a similar complaint. What was the conclusion? They need to work harder at keeping both groups happy. A third in both generations feel companies lack vision and fall short in productivity.
Here is a litmus test for your organization: Is your present vision as it exists today sustainable? Is it being executed to your maximum benefit? Do your people up and down the ranks of your organization know and understand the vision of your company and how their role contributes to its fulfillment? Recognizing what is stifling your vision is important if you want to remain competitive. Here are three to start with. Take care of these and you will be on your way to removing barriers to your vision.
Discourse. Communication is the life blood of your organization. The vision of your organization is only valuable when your people know it and your customers experience it. If your vision is not known internally then it will be of no value to anyone externally. If your team is clueless then so are your customers.
So what is the answer? Discourse. Never pass up an opportunity to share your vision and why each team member is a key to its success. John Maxwell said, “Vision begins with one person, but it is only accomplished by many people.” He is right. Communicate vision often.
Disbursement. Billy Hornsby said, “It’s okay to let those you lead outshine you, for if they shine brightly enough, they reflect positively on you.” What a powerful statement. When those in leadership learn to relinquish control, unleash the potential of their team members, and stop hoarding information, they can open up their organizations to a new level of success.
The danger for leaders today is the same one the early settlers experienced. Those leading the voyage across the ocean could convince others to join the cause, but they had a rebellion on their hands over a five mile trek across out of town. Why? Whether 3,000 miles or 5, the disbursement of your vision to your people will make you or break you. Before people buy-in to a vision they must first buy-in to the leader. It’s a simple rule of leadership – loyalty to the leader always precedes loyalty to the vision.
Direction. Simply put; an organization without direction is an organization in search for its soul. Without direction and purpose you are lost. If your company is lost, your team members are adrift, and your survival is in question.
In Forbes.com, Glenn Llopis writes, “As leaders, we must recognize that we need strategies for change. Unfortunately, most leaders just don’t trust themselves enough to define their strategy, since this makes them accountable for their own vision. I have noticed that most leaders want to be accountable more for what others want them to be than for what they seek to be themselves.” What a sad commentary on leadership today.
In order to successfully execute a vision with purpose you need to identify and overcome the vision busters that would attempt to hold you back. It’s not for the faint-of-heart but your success depends on it. It begins with discourse; it involves disbursement, and demands direction.
How is your vision?
© 2012 Doug Dickerson
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