Transformational leadership sounds grand and promising. And it is, because it’s about leading through vision—about infusing the day-to-day operations of the company with purpose, a sense of belonging, and personal responsibility. As the word itself suggests, visions aren’t something we turn to every day; however, once internalized, they are capable of providing daily guidance and positively influencing complex systems.
Now there’s the old Schmidt saying, “If you have a vision, you should see a doctor,” and we tend to cling to the everyday and push the visionary aside—perhaps for later, if at all.
In fact, in my experience, visions are an effective means of actively shaping leadership. To be completely honest, I believe that a vision is the be-all and end-all of good leadership, because visions make leadership more effective (through consistency), more motivating (through credibility), and they take the pressure off leaders (by providing direction). Visions are a leader’s best ally.
Want to develop a vision? And don’t know where to start?
Try to sit back. Ask yourself this question: “If you woke up tomorrow and you, your colleagues, and your employees were operating at their full potential and competence, and the company was in the best possible position—what would that day look like? How would you and your employees or colleagues feel and act?” How would your company be ‘structured’ in that scenario?”
The challenge lies in thinking these ideas through to their logical conclusion. Stay tuned.
