Today we are beginning the countdown of the top 10 traits of all great leaders.
#1 Trait of Great Leaders: VISION
“The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has no vision,” said Helen Keller. Vision is the one characteristic most often associated with great leadership. One definition of leadership is the ability to turn a dream or vision of a desired future into a reality – with and through the cooperation of other people.
A shared vision will inspire others to follow your lead. It is the desired state or goal that a leader focuses on in order to deal with setbacks, resistance, personal weaknesses, etc. Nelson Mandela comes to mind. His vision of an apartheid-free South Africa helped him deal with persecution and imprisonment which he endured for over 25 years. A clear vision pursued with conviction and persistence is more than half the battle.
Great leaders also have the ability to stay focused on their vision while managing day-to-day activities. This vision should then guide the goals and activities of people who work with this leader.
Sometimes it’s easy to underestimate the value of vision until you are reminded of all that it can do for you and your organization. Consider the following snapshots of the value of vision by Dr. John C. Maxwell, author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, and make sure you haven’t underestimated its importance in your organization:
VISION CHALLENGES PEOPLE.
Edwin Land, founder of Polaroid, said, “Teach your people to feel that the vision is very important and nearly impossible. That draws out the drive in winners.” A vision doesn’t look at the available resources and ask what can be done with them. It sees the potential and issues the challenge. Then the right people rally to make it happen.
VISION SOLVES PROBLEMS.
Problems go unsolved not because they are too big, but because a leader’s vision is too small. If a problem is bigger than your dreams, it will stop you. But if your vision is greater, you will find a way to overcome it. As the old adage says, obstacles are the things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.
VISION PROVIDES GUIDANCE.
Direction for an organization cannot be given through rules or organizational charts. Those types of things merely facilitate direction. True direction is birthed in the leader’s vision.
VISION ATTRACTS WINNERS.
A prime minister of France once said, “If you are doing big things, you attract big people. If you are doing little things, you attract little people.” The scope of your vision determines the stature of your people.
VISION UNITES PEOPLE.
There are differences and diversity in any organization. But dissimilar people will unite under a common vision when the vision is greater than their desire to go their own way.
VISION SUPPLIES ENERGY.
Do you know why so many successful people are visionaries? Because vision gives people a drive to succeed. Someone once said that only he who sees the invisible can do the impossible.
While vision is the foundation of a leader’s success, vision alone is not enough. In order to get others to move in the direction of the desired goal, the leader must also be able to communicate that vision and the path for achieving it.
How do you develop this quality of Vision?
• Articulate and communicate your organization’s current Vision.
• Assess whether your strategies and goals support this Vision.
• Periodically evaluate whether day-to-day activities, meetings, projects, are in line with your organization’s strategic plan to achieve its Vision.
Stay tuned for traits 2, 3 and 4 next.
