Dispelling the Myths and Rhetoric Around "VISION"

It would be a dramatic understatement to state that “VISION” has long been recognized as a key leadership skill and a critical component to a leader’s success.  The truth is that thousands of missives and books have been written about “the VISION thing”.  Hundreds of leadership experts have exhorted their audiences about the need for leaders to have a vision and share that vision with those who follow them.  Holding leadership retreats for the sole purpose of crafting an organization’s vision is a commonplace practice for businesses, non-profit groups, and social initiatives.  Almost every corporate headquarters has a prominent wall in the lobby or a conference room or in every employee lounge where a so-called “Vision” is displayed.  When new leaders first take the reins of an organization, they are almost always asked to articulate their vision for their leadership and their organization.  And when a leader is celebrated at the end of their tenure, having “been a VISIONARY” is often the eulogy given to describe the success that a leader may have achieved.

Conversely, when things go wrong, the “lack of a vision” is often seen as the culprit.  Employees and constituents will complain that a leader “has no vision” when they become dissatisfied or frustrated with the culture or performance of an organization.  Senior leaders will complain that subordinates don’t appreciate or don’t see “the bigger vision” for an organization or for a team.  Partnerships will dissolve and mergers will fail because two organizations do not “share the same vision”.  And, when an organization suffers failure, a clarion call for “a new vision” is often the response of a Board of Directors or a leadership team.    

This intense focus on the importance of a vision, is not misplaced.  Both from observational research, and through common experience, the presence or absence of a powerful vision is frequently the only distinguishing factor between success and failure.   Organizations that are successful year after year, are consistently found to be guided by leaders with a strong sense of vision.  On the other hand, entities that fail are commonly managed by leaders without a clear vision for the future.  And, the power of vision becomes even more obvious when looking at organizations that succeed when the odds are against them compare to organizations that fail even when advantaged – the difference is usually a clear and powerful leadership vision.

So, if VISION is at the epicenter of success, it would seem that this leadership skill must be well understood and ubiquitously practiced by leaders, whether they serve in government, in business, or in social organizations.  Sadly, this is not the case.  Very few leaders have mastered the art and/or science of leading with vision.  In fact, most leaders invest very little time in crafting or communicating a vision for their organization.  And, the majority of leaders have never really studied or questioned how to purposefully create and leverage a vision for success. 

To break away from these common shortcomings – and, thus, to craft and to leverage a powerful vision for success – leaders must discover three different pathways for success.  First, they must learn to recognize what VISION is NOT – thereby, avoiding the many distractions and substitutes that are often mistaken for effective leadership visioning.  Second, they must learn a few very tactile and specific skills that can be used to create and communicate a vision for both themselves and their stakeholders – thus, making their vision something very tangible and real rather than ethereal and amorphous.  And finally, leaders must learn when and how to effectively use their vision as an effective tool of leadership – hence, transforming their vision from aspiration to results and success.

Re-Envisioning WHAT Vision IS and IS NOT

Individuals who aspire to be visionary and bold in their leadership must first recognize what vision is NOT.  With so many authors – this one included – trying to describe leadership vision, there are libraries full of opposing definitions and confusing descriptions of how to think about VISION and VISIONARY LEADERSHIP. 

All that said, it must be conceded, that a clear definition of vision will always remain somewhat elusive.  After all, defining “vision” is not unlike trying to define “the meaning of life”.  And, it will always be easier to see the results of visionary leadership, or the lack thereof, rather than to clearly see or understand vision itself.  However, if we take the advice of the infamous literary detective, Sherlock Holmes, and apply a degree of literary license…

By “eliminating the impossible” definitions of vision, then “whatever remains, no matter how improbable…” -- i.e., strange, weird, surprising -- “…must be the truth.”  

By understanding clearly what vision is not, it is easier for leaders to avoid being sidetracked and derailed by incomplete or inaccurate definitions that might entice leaders into thinking that they have created and embraced an effective vision, when in truth they have not.  To that purpose, the five most common mis-definitions of vision are…

#1... Substituting Values for Vision (Too Limited): 

#2... Promoting Slogans or Taglines as Vision (Too Trivial)

#3... Embracing Hyperboles as Vision (Too Insincere)

#4... Adopting Strategies as Vision (Too Specific)

#5... Codifying Success as Vision (Too Mundane)

In summary, defining vision is an incredibly difficult task, and numerous pitfalls threaten leaders who attempt to be visionary.  But, if one can avoid the five most common mis-definitions, a leader will be well positioned to craft an effective and powerful vision for their own leadership and for the future of their organization…

• By recognizing that values are important, but that they are guardrails rather than a destination, leaders can use their values to stay on course towards a better future and a robust image of what the organization will ultimately become and will achieve;

  
  

• By avoiding trivial slogans and catchphrases, leaders can articulate a vision that is comprehensive and has depth, allowing those leaders to reach a future that is not about one outcome alone, but is rather a future that involves all facets of an organization – people, process, products, purpose, and more;

  
  

• By avoiding hype and hyperbole, leaders can craft an image of the future in which stakeholders will believe it is worthwhile to invest their time, their effort, and their enthusiasm to make possible;

  
  

• By establishing a vision that is a future state rather than a current strategic plan, leaders will be able to adapt and to change what they do in order to eventually become what they want to be personally and what they want for their organization; and

  
  

• By making sure that their vision is more than a repetition of what has already been accomplished, a leader can avoid stagnation and irrelevance over time.

In short, a truly visionary leader will always be forward thinking, comprehensive in their definition of what must be accomplished, dedicated to doing whatever is necessary to make their vision a reality, and always adaptable to adjusting their actions when necessary to stay on course towards their envisioned outcome.

FOR MORE SPECIFIC GUIDANCE on how to become a Visionary Leader and how to transform an organization into a truly Vision-Driven Organization, read our full essay on this website...