Once of my favorite definitions of leadership describes what is necessary for a leadership situation. All you need is a leader, someone to be led and a place to go. Vision provides the place to go. A vision is simply a projection of a future state of being. It is the target. It describes the relationship of the organization to the market and competitors in time and space. It can be an intuitive sense, a precise objective or a higher echelon’s intent. Vision establishes the focus for action and guidance to the organization. Mature, well-led, trust based, organizations have the ability to operate on vision alone. At the lowest level of the organization, an individual is able to understand how his function relates to the vision. Vision also directs. If a question arises regarding direction, the vision must provide that direction. Again, the lowest level in the organization must be able to ask, “How does what I am doing further the vision?” and have a concrete answer. Another thought on vision is what it is not. Vision is not chiseled in granite. It is not an unvarying path to success. It requires constant examination, revision and redefinition. An example of great vision is that of Bill Gates and Microsoft. Simple stated, it was a computer on every desktop. And Microsoft doesn't make computers. That vision guided the developers at Microsoft to produce software that was so compelling that for productivity’s sake, every worker with a desk needed a computer upon it. Having come to maturity before that time, I can attest to its effectiveness.
Vision is the beginning of the planning phase, but it is also the primary mission of the leader. It is about providing a framework within which the organization can operate. There is no secret to vision. Like any skill the ability to develop a vision must be practiced.
In the military, a vision describes the intended disposition of your organization in relationship to the enemy and in time and space. This holds true for other situations. Disposition refers to not just physical locations, but strength, capabilities, and readiness. Develop a statement that describes the disposition you desire for your organization in relationship to the market and competitors and the space-time situation as well. You want your (section, company, corporation) to (meet standards of readiness and training; have specific capabilities; own a specific market share) by (date; termination of training; before acquisition). These are simple forms of vision, but they require practice. Test them out on your boss and peers. Get their feedback and learn. This may make some of you uncomfortable and may even occasionally make you look stupid. Get over it. If you want to lead then you had better be prepared to pay the price for excellence.
Vision is not limited to the organization. A leader must also have a personal vision that guides them. This personal vision is about what they wish to become as leaders and decision-makers. It should describe the values they embrace, their tolerance toward ambiguity and the environment in which they wish to operate. My personal vision is that:
I wish to become a bold, audacious risk taker; competent enough to know the difference between risk and gamble and confident enough to take risk in order to operate within my competitor’s decision cycle while delighting the customer. I must be trustworthy and trusts subordinates enough to delegate authority and allow them to operate within the framework of vision. I will place responsibility appropriately and hold those subordinates ruthlessly accountable for those responsibilities. I will provide caring, concern leadership that treats everyone with respect and dignity.
Personal and organizational vision must be synchronous. If the two visions are at odds, a dysfunctional situation is unavoidable. For my part, I could not be part of an organization that did not support risk taking or treated its people unfairly. Personal vision requires a great deal of contemplation. All of us have known or know of someone we would like to emulate. Consider what their personal vision was as you formulate your own. It is possible to surmise what Lincoln, Patton, or Martin Luther King had as personal visions. What is yours?
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