“If you are working on something exciting that you really care about,
you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” – Steve Jobs
When there is no vision, people fail. In some instances they fail big time! Vision enables us to set a roadmap and plan for our life, our mission and purpose, and our professional career. People sometimes forget that vision is not just something you do annually at a senior leadership retreat. It is not a strategic plan or targeted growth objective goal. It’s a true north for each of us. Vision impacts our lives at the individual, team, and organizational levels.
So, where does one begin? First, set a vision for your life. What do you want your mission to be? What is your purpose? This can come from personal dreams and desires, or it can come from deeper spiritual and psychological interests. Your vision should be directly linked to your career and professional life. For example, how do you want to impact others? What type of leadership legacy do you want to leave behind? Answers to these critical questions will have you well on your way to leading with an inspired vision. Here’s the next steps to make it sustainable.
- Build Your Playbook: Your overarching vision is step one. Once you have this in place, it’s time to put your playbook together. What is going to get you to where you want to be? What steps do you need to take to get there? What people do you need to involve to make it happen? How will you handle bumps and obstacles along the way? Take the necessary steps to build your playbook.
- Bring Others Along: No single leader can do it all. We need others. We need capable others, but others nonetheless. Select team members and colleagues that have strengths where you have weaknesses. Make sure to include them in your plans and thinking as things evolve. Remember this ancient proverb, “without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of advisors they are established upon a solid foundation.”
- Celebrate the Victories: Life moves quickly. As leaders, there is always the next milestone to achieve, the next mountain to climb. When we are constantly fixated on the future, we can lose sight of the present; the here and now. Celebrate the successes that you, and others, have along the way. Tell your people how proud you are of their accomplishments. Do this and they will stick with you through thick and thin.
Vision is everything. If you don’t have it, you won’t succeed in business or in life.
