One of the Most MisUnderstood Qualities of Leadership - Vision

One of the Most MisUnderstood Qualities of Leadership  - Vision

 

You can look at just about any list of essential qualities for a Leader and vision is listed. What's interesting is I've discovered through the years of working with many leaders is there is a good number who really don't have one, so don't function from one, and don't practically know how to have it.

 

And yet, having a vision is an essential element of leadership. Why? Because the very point of leadership is taking those you lead to a new destination reflecting different and hopefully much better outcomes.

 

Now, in order to do that you have to be able to "see" where you're going. To see, you have to imagine. And as true leaders, we have to see different to get different.

 

Imagination is the gateway to new possibilities. It opens up the portal of potential and so makes it one of the coolest, most exciting aspects of our existence as human beings. 

 

Imagination gives us the power - gives anyone the power - to bring into existence something never before seen or experienced. That is just amazing! Yet sadly this magnificent feat of human power is so frequently taken for granted even in its most simplest form. For example, one simple element of process improvement occurs when someone "sees" something different, even if it's just a minor tweak.

 

This was my "ah ha" moment many years ago when I started conducting creative & innovative thinking workshops.

 

Creating a vision is activating the imagination for the purpose of seeing (envisioning) a new, different, improved state. Without it you are existing and managing the status quo...and that's not really leading.

 

Without vision, we live an illusion of leading...we are merely swimming in the status quo.

 

So, creative thinking should be on the essentials list. In fact, the IBM Leadership Values Institute several years ago deemed this the most essential quality for the future. Here's a great reference.

 

For a while, it was my most requested keynote and to date, for some clients, a mainstay in their employee development offerings. It's also what prompted me to write the creative thinking handbook Brain On Fire - How to Unleash Your Creative Superpowers.

 

In summary, vision is one of the most overused and underused elements of leadership...overused as a stated requirement and underused in reality.

 

Coaching Questions: Do you have a vision? Are you currently functioning and leading from one? Does your team have a team vision (what we call "shared vision")? In 2023, are you managing the status quo carried over from 2022?

 

My theme for this year thus far has been the concept of "refresh". Now you know - it's not just a nice thing to do, but essential for real leadership... leadership that truly makes a difference.

 

To Your Success!

JoAnn

 

Notes: 

> Brain on Fire - available on Amazon. 

>  Also, consider bringing a Creative & Innovative Thinking Workshop to your organization. It is one of the best resources for "team building" and provides a fun approach to nurturing healthy, constructive collaboration.