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Leadership
Leaders Have a Vision—But Can Others See It?
Getting others to see your vision is key.
Posted November 29, 2023 Reviewed by Hara Estroff Marano
Key points
- A leader’s vision is rarely static; it changes with experience.
- A vision is not so much yours as the product of your interaction with others.
- Whether you realize your vision depends on the interplay of psychological and practical factors.
- We can learn from other leaders in similar situations whether our own vision is practicable.
Everyone has some aspiration to succeed. The impulse comes almost viscerally to leaders. Have you noticed how language tends to frame their futures in visual, far-seeing terms, so that their futures seem like natural extensions of their personalities? We like to think of our leaders as having the ability to think ahead. But what, exactly, does it mean to have a “vision”?
It's easy to demystify the notion, especially as to everyday leaders, who operate in unpretentious settings devoid of the usual bells and whistles. From this perspective, a vision is the objective that leaders ultimately work towards.
“Ultimately” is crucial, because you may not, early in your development, be committed to a particular vision or even know that it exists. Over time, however, it becomes clear. It’s a process. For example, how do you discover a vision and, finally, marshal the will to achieve it? How do you sort through competing visions? Ultimately, so to speak, what’s required is personal maturation—which can occur at any age. In other words, you grow into a vision (like any type of growth, it won’t arrive all at once).
But there’s more. While psychological factors play a huge part in the achievement of your vision, there are practical considerations as well. It’s one thing to know that you have a vision, and even to know that you’ll do what it takes to achieve it. It’s quite another to break down “what it takes” into nuts and bolts—the actual, practical steps that enable leaders to get on with leading. The nuts and bolts go along with the psychology, in tandem; you can’t neglect one for the other. Thus, in addition to knowing how to understand their vision, it’s crucial leaders recognize what they do to pursue it. In effect, both sides of the coin are heads; you can’t flip between one or the other and expect a different (let alone, better) result.
When you apply this dual-track approach to real-life experience, several points emerge. For example, a vision can change shape, and leaders can change as they seek to achieve it. But one point worth emphasizing right up front is the need to let go of proprietary notions regarding our “own” personal vision.
As I’ve learned by working with leaders, a vision is always inflected by other people’s ideas. Even by other people’s visions. Without others’ expertise and support, we might be unable to formulate an achievable vision. Without teamwork and networking, a vision might remain a tiny, local phenomenon—no bigger than one’s head. Without a willingness to compromise, we might be dismissed as pig-headed. So, we must recognize that a vision (however idealistic) cannot be idealized. It is always up for revision (i.e., re-vision, reimagination) or, in effect, negotiation. It is formed in a process of letting go or, more propitiously, of give and take.
Thus, no leader is an island. He or she must take account of a vision’s stakeholders—including those people being led. But if that makes a vision vulnerable in some sense, it is also a benefit. By remaining receptive to others, our learning curve is perpetually on the upswing.
As I have learned, the most successful leaders are always learning. They are open to criticism and take it in the spirit that it’s meant when it’s meant to improve the overall outcome of a shared effort. There will be plenty of time for pride down the road, but, as your vision is taking shape, don’t let your ego get in the way of adopting a good idea. In fact, if you want people to remain on board with a shared effort, it may become necessary—indeed, unavoidable—to keep your vision malleable. The goal is to enable stakeholders to believe that you value and understand them.
Finally, it's worth noting that everyday leaders are not just big-time leaders writ small—while their sphere is scaled down, their modus operandi differs in kind. They have no built-in, always on-call networks of consultants, image-makers, and pollsters to help them shape (let alone achieve) their vision.
In the political sphere, for example, or among the masters of the universe, we often hear about unnamed but influential (and highly paid) “advisors.” In fact, most masters have networks that support them without even being asked, just because they want to stay on retainer. Accordingly, such leaders experience less conflict about their vision (which has been vetted and focus-grouped in advance by professionals, who keep on honing it as conditions change). They walk out into the world self-assured. But for everyday leaders, achieving a vision requires strenuous efforts on an intimate scale, both in defining their vision and achieving it. It requires a degree of flexibility, spontaneity, and quick reaction that big-time leaders rarely require. They must keep looking around them, 3600.
It’s not easy. But it’s possible.
Having a workable vision is the first, indispensable step to becoming an everyday leader. Through a certain amount of trial and error, you can learn how to manage your vision. Then you’re on your way.
So, as you contemplate becoming a leader (or cementing your leadership position), pay attention to the process of how you find, acknowledge, and then adjust your vision to maintain it. These are key steps. No one just ‘‘has’’ a vision. Like everything in life, a vision is dynamic. As it changes, we grow into it. Observe how everyday leaders around you pay attention to their vision; they do not allow it to get beyond their capabilities or, in another key, drive every aspect of their lives to the exclusion of everything else. A vision must be situated, that is, integrated into your life so that your life remains workable, even satisfying. It can’t be allowed to take over your life like kudzu. Attending to your vision is, itself, a skill.
You can start by talking to people in similar positions, that is, somewhere on an upward trajectory. What have they learned? How can you apply it? By definition, leaders are not shy. If you approach these people, they’ll understand where you’re coming from and, more importantly, where you want to go.
