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Is Your Vision 20/10?

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Happy 2010! I am already optimistic about our New Year. In terms of eyesight, 20/10 signifies “better than normal vision.” So what better year to start improving your leadership vision? Having this skill is critical, and it is often the trickiest part of leadership to get right.

Vision is about possibility. It is about seeing what could be where others can only see what is, or sometimes worse, what was. Human beings have a tendency to project into the future more of what has happened in the past. To be a great leader, you have to be able to help your people to see what is possible, and help them to move towards that image.

So how do you develop a vision? A good way to start is by asking yourself, “What do my people need that only I can give them?” Really consider this point. By the nature of your job, you have access to more information than they do. You have studied industry trends more than many of them have. You have a more holistic view of the organization. You have (hopefully) listened to the perspectives of customers, colleagues, and employees. You are the leader for a variety of reasons. What are those reasons? What is that you can see that they can’t necessarily see…yet?

Now ask, does your vision motivate you? If not, start over.

Of course it is not all about you. Once you have your vision, it’s time to start having conversations with others. Powerful conversations are the secret weapon of many a great leader. Talk to your boss, if you have one—or a mentor or a coach—and run it by some trusted colleagues. Have powerful conversations, and the vision gets better.

I have a Sr. VP client who did just this. He developed a compelling, inspiring vision for his organization of 800 people in just five words. After some powerful conversations with his CEO, he reduced it to an even more powerful four words. These words capture exactly what this executive wants to convey about the future for his company. And they are loaded with possibility.

So here’s a quick recap:

Recognize that you need a vision, and even more importantly, your people need you to have one.
At first…it’s all about you and your unique perspective.
Then you quickly realize…It’s not just about you.
Talk about it, refine it, be willing to fine tune it.
Then give it away: communicate like crazy and watch the changes that happen…watch your people rise to the challenge of a better future.

Visionaries are by necessity optimists. Who wants to spend time and energy imagining a worse future?

"The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned. It enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy."

Detrick Bonhoeffer, German Theologian

2010. It is time for better vision. It is time for you to lead with possibility. Your people need and deserve it…and if you think about it, you may realize that you are exactly the person who can help them to see.

Patty Keenan

www.keenaninsights.com

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