A Leaders Vision Must Motivate and Inspire
Visionary leaders learn and develop the ability to articulate their vision
A vision is widely regarded as critically important in leadership, strategy development, execution, innovation, and change.
However, there is no generally agreed definition of vision.
In this regard, vision is frequently confused with the mission, goals, strategy, and values of the organization.
To understand “vision” its important to be cognizant of the fact that, according to Westley and Mintzberg, visionary leadership varies from leader to leader in terms of a leader’s style, the content, and context of a vision.
In the following article, some of the myriads of definitions will be explored as a means of understanding the concept of vision.
What is the vision?
Vision and strategies describe an organization in terms of what it intends to become and articulates a practical way of attaining that objective.
According to Miles vision “requires projection into a dimly outlined future. It requires the creation of goals that stretch the organization beyond its current comprehension and capabilities.
Warren Bennis noted that vision is the guiding purpose and the compelling goal of an organization.
- A vision, while it includes mission goes well beyond it
- A mission outlines the organizational purpose while a vision goes on to describe how the organization should look when it is working extremely well in relation to its environment and its key stakeholders
From previous definitions, there are many explanations of vision. However, in general, each of these explanations shares some of the following characteristics:
- It is about a desirable future
- It is essential for leadership
- It creates a sense of direction
- It is the basis for business strategy and planning
The importance of vision
A vision tells you not only what the organization does, but why it is worthwhile and exciting to do it.
The vision makes the dull, abstract mission statement come alive infusing it with excitement, arousing emotions, and stimulating creativity to achieve it.
The attributes of vision
The following are some vision attributes that are commonly espoused by leadership academics:
- Abstractness
- Brevity
- Clarity
- Challenge
- Future-oriented
- Stability
- Inspirational
The visionary organization
The following characteristics serve to facilitate a visionary organization:
- Creative
- Decentralized
- Risk embracing
- Vertical or flat organizational structure
- Unconscious of status
- High level of vertical communications
- High level of trust
Leadership and vision creation
According to Bennis and Nanus vision is a fundamental concept of leadership.
They assert that to choose a direction a leader must first develop a mental image of a possible and desired future state of the organization.
A leader's image may be as vague as a dream or as precise as a goal statement.
A visionary leader needs not only to have the ability to articulate the organization’s vision but also to be able to make the vision a shared vision.
In this respect, it is important for the leader to be able to motivate, drive, and inspire both external and internal constituents to believe in the vision.
Motivating others to share in a vision is, therefore, a crucial leadership skill.
Characteristics of a visionary leader
Maxwell espouses the following characteristics of visionary leaders:
- Vision from within
- Vision draws on the leader’s experience
- Vision meets the needs of others
- Vision helps the leader accumulate resources
Leadership vision creation and change
Visionary leadership is especially important in organizations undergoing major change initiatives.
- For Charismatic Leader, is vitally important to vision creation
- Transformational or Charismatic leaders are able to assist their followers in making sense of the vision
- Charismatic leaders use self-confidence, moral conviction, and inspiring charisma to influence their followers
Effective vision creation
To be effective, a vision must communicate meaning, contain realistic depth, be attainable and resonate with people.
How to develop a vision
In order to create an appealing vision, it is paramount that a leader has a thorough understanding of the organization.
- A leader needs to understand the environment (both internal and external) within which the organization operates
- A leader should also be cognizant of the organization’s culture
Guidelines for formulating a vision
Yukl (2006) espouses the following steps for establishing a Vision:
- Involve key stakeholders
- Identify strategic objectives with wide appeal
- Identify relevant elements in the old ideology
- Link the vision to core competencies
- Evaluate the credibility of the vision
- Continually assess and refine the vision
Steps for Successful Vision Creation
Introducing a vision may necessitate an organizational transformation.
Following Kotter’s (Eight Stage) Change Process (1996) may serve to facilitate this transformation. The stages are as follows:
- Establish a sense of urgency
- Create the guiding coalition
- Develop a vision & strategic initiatives
- Enlist change agents
- Remove barriers
- Generate short-term wins
- Sustain acceleration
- Institute change
Steps for successful vision creation
Kotter’s (Eight Stage) Change Process introduces organizational practices:
- Empower a broad base of people to take action
- Consolidate gains and produce even more change
- Ground the changes in the culture & make them stick
- Institutionalize new approaches in the corporate culture
Barriers to effective vision creation
Individuals may be afraid of how others will respond to their vision.
- Individuals can be disappointed in their pursuit of the vision
- The individual’s competence may be called into question
- Being true to the vision can be a very demanding discipline
Benefits of Vision Creation
- Breaks you out of boundary thinking
- Identifies direction and purpose
- Alerts stakeholders to needed change
- Promotes confidence and commitment
- Promotes laser-like focus
- Builds loyalty through involvement (ownership)
- Results in efficiency and productivity
Conclusion
A vision is the first critical core component of effective leadership. Below are some key takeaways to remember:
- Without vision the organization has is little or no sense of purpose, direction or meaning
- Without purpose or direction, the organization will experience a lack of coordination among the various constituents
- Vision brings the future into focus
- A vision provides a road map of the organization’s expectations and energizes and mobilizes followers to embark on this journey
“You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word; It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.” — Winston Churchill
