In David McCullough’s 1776, the author tells the story of the initial stages of the American Revolution. A key figure in this account is General George Washington, the eventual first president of the United States of America. As the author describes Washington’s proclivities and deficiencies, he repeatedly describes the acclaimed commander as a man who saw things as they were, and not how he desired them to be. In a day in age where leaders are often acclaimed for their ability to verbally paint a picture of an unknown, and perhaps unachievable future, this ability is often disregarded and ignored. And yet, it is required for any leader that actually wants their vision to amount to anything of significance.
When writing of Washington’s leadership tendencies, it is likely purposeful that McCullough described what Washington saw. After all, vision is first and foremost concerned with an ability to see. And yet, when discussing organizational vision, leaders have increasingly thought that vision is about what they can imagine. However, imagination is far too often based on what we wish, rather than what is real. This is why more leaders should seek to acquire a capacity that is similar to Washington’s. If they do so, they, like Washington, will have a greater likelihood of success.
So what is real vision? It has four characteristics:
- It acknowledges the current reality – As McCullough’s description belies, a leader needs to see things as they currently are. Without this, a leader runs the risk of pursuing what is termed “positive fantasies” rather than true opportunities. A leader needs to know what is before they can imagine what can be.
- It understands the existing challenges – Part of acknowledging the current reality is understanding the existing challenges. Articulating a vision without understanding the potential obstacles is like planning to sail around the world without paying attention to the weather. The weather will impact your chances of success, and so will whatever problems currently exist in the organization. The current challenges don’t have to determine the vision that is cast, but they will affect the organization’s ability to achieve its desired outcomes. To avoid unnecessary frustration and the inefficient use of resources, leaders must be able to recognize the hurdles to where they want to go.
- It appreciates the requisite resources – You can’t get anywhere without resources. If leaders cast a vision without clearly identifying the time, energy, as well as financial and human resources needed, they run the risk of running out of resources before the vision is achieved. In addition, if the leader does not acknowledge what is needed, their followers will likely become disillusioned as they recognize the reality that they don’t have what is required to get to the stated destination. From the start, a vision should take into account the costs of achieving it, and leaders should do all they can to ensure that the needed resources are secured or developed.
- It is clear about what needs to be accomplished – Far too often organizational visions are couched in vague phrases and unclear expectation. However, Washington was able to win the war because early on everyone understand what the desired outcome was, and what needed to be done in order to secure it. The vision of organizational leaders need to do the same. Otherwise, over time, it is likely their team will begin pursuing their interpretation of the vision, rather than what the leader intended for them to accomplish.
If articulating a compelling vision was easy, more leaders would readily do it. It is because it is difficult that many leaders struggle to do so, or avoid it altogether. However, leaders don’t have the luxury of avoiding challenging tasks. And because vision determines where their team will go, it is imperative that leaders are careful and clear to share a vision that is really worth following.
Dr. Natalie C. Winter
Professor
Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business
www.linkedin.com/in/nataliecwinter
Banner photo from: https://blog.42courses.com/home/2016/12/18/the-difference-between-idea-vs-vision