Some thoughts on leadership and vision...
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Some thoughts on leadership and vision...
Some thoughts on leadership and vision...
Much is written today about leadership, the stages of leadershp development, and the role of the leader in having a clear vision which he or she is able to communicate in a compelling and motivating manner.
Whilst there are many definitions of leadership and much advice about how that leader should develop a compelling vision (and you'll find more in-depth articles about this subject on this site) here are some initial thoughts to spark you.
The first stage of leadership development is to be clear about what "Leadership" is. Once individuals have a model they can aspire to they begin to think more broadly about their role, growing in to this new identity called "leader".
According to research carried out by FEDEX there are nine qualities that determine Leadership:
Charisma
Individual consideration (they are able to listen to individuals)
Intellectual stimulation
Courage
Dependability
Flexibility
Integrity
Sound judgement
Respect for others
Leaders guide and influence others whereas Managers control or oversee those under them. The key distinction is between those who inspire and those who direct others.
And according to Howard Gardner, the author of 'Researching Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership', exploring the stages of leadership:
"Leaders are people who markedly influence the behaviours, thoughts, and/or feelings of a significant number of their fellow beings, followers, or audience."
One of the key characteristics of leadership is "vision".
These days most companies have a Vision or Mission Statement. However, the role of "vision" in organisations is much greater than this.
Having a clear and compelling vision is a central part of motivating staff to achieve their full potential.
Through painting a clear vision, leaders can start to motivate and influence others.
This 10 step process can help leaders to paint a vision which truly inspires those around them, encouraging others to buy in to their leadership and motivating them to work towards a shared objective.
STEP 1 : Familiarise yourself with the terrain
Who are the key people in your environment? (major customers, partners, board members, peers, influential people within the organisation.) How they will measure your success? How is the competition responding to changes in the market? What can you learn from them?
STEP 2 : Look for trends
Can you see any trends that need to be addressed?
STEP 3 : Think Big
What opportunities are in front of you? Be creative - don't limit your thinking.
STEP 4 : Think long term
Make sure that you are taking a long term view, and not being side tracked with short term needs or personal ambition.
STEP 5 : Dream your vision
What will be different a year from now? How have you achieved success for your organisation? Be as precise as possible about who was involved, what the benefits were, what was achieved.
STEP 6 : Have passion
Are you excited and motivated by your vision? If not, what would make you feel passionate about it? Adjust it accordingly.
STEP 7 : What resources are available to you?
Do you have the resources to implement your vision? If not, where are the gaps?
STEP 8 : Bring others in
This is the key to motivating others. Be open to other people's ideas and share your visions with them. Allow the vision to become more complete and start to plan how it can be implemented.
STEP 9 : Take a balanced approach
Be flexible in allowing others to contribute but don't be bulldozed. You will need conviction but you will also need others to help you succeed.
STEP 10 : Stay objective
Do not take criticism of your ideas personally. Stay objective so you can be open to other people's suggestions. They could make the vision even more powerful.
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If you want to read more about the stages of leadership development, you may want to read some of our other free leadership articles:
