What is your vision for those you lead? Are they included in it? That may seem like an odd question, but have you considered their goals and aspirations in crafting that vision? You would be amazed at how many leaders never even think about that.
Over the past few weeks, we have explored The Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership. Today, we’re looking at number five: craft a vision. While establishing a vision may seem like leadership 101 material, its importance is so much deeper and richer than you might imagine. It is undoubtedly crucial for a leader to establish a vision for their team and to give them the priorities that they need to achieve that vision. But significant leaders take that a step further. Significant leaders answer the vital question: so what? Why should your vision for the team matter to them? Ideally, any leader should get input from every team member before crafting the vision. That way, they can incorporate the input into the big picture, which makes it a true team vision and can solidify buy-in.
Now, I understand that, sometimes, you may not be the highest person on the organization chart. So, you may be fed a vision or an objective from someone higher on the organizational chart. In that situation, the significant leader digs deep into the objective they’ve been given and into what they know about each member of their team and figure out why achieving this objective they have been given would matter to their team. What’s in it for them? How will it affect someone or something they love or care about?
Significant leaders always approach crafting a vision from the perspective of the why first, rather than just establishing the what first. Essential number five in The Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership: Craft a relevant vision.
Read Lauren’s Whitepaper on The Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership.