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Vision gives team members direction and confidence

Great Vision precedes great achievement!

Author Ezra Jones states, “Leaders do not have to be the greatest visionaries themselves. The vision may come from anyone. The leaders do not have to state the vision, however, Leaders also have to keep the vision before the people and remind them of the progress that is being made to achieve the vision. Otherwise, the people might assume that they are failing and give up.”

How do you measure vision? How do you know whether it is worthy and compelling? You need to check your compass to see if you are going in the correct direction or not. There are six checks that need to be made by every great team.

Check your moral compass (Look Above) – Andrew Carnegie states that a great business is seldom if ever built up except on lines of strictest integrity. It is the moral compass that brings integrity to the vision. It is what causes every team member to check their motives to see if they are laboring for the right reasons. It brings credibility to the leaders who cast the vision.

Check you intuitive compass (Look Within) – Where integrity brings fuel to the vision, passion brings fire. The true fire of passion and conviction comes only from within. Authors Kouzes and Posner write in Leadership Challenge, Visions spring forth from our intuition. If necessity is the mother of invention, then intuition is the mother of vision. Experience feeds our intuition and enhances our insight. The vision must resonate deep within the heart of the leader

Check your historical compass (Look Behind) – There is an old Indiana saying, “Do not remove the fence until you why it was there!” A compelling vision should be built on the past, not diminish it. It should make positive use of everything that has been contributed by previous teams. Anytime you cast vision, you must create a connection between the past, the present, and the future. People will not reach for the future until they have touched the past! This does two things. First is shows respect to those who have been around the organization a long time – they feel valued. Secondly, it give security to the newcomer because they sense that a future is being based upon solid decisions from history.

Check you directional compass (Look Ahead) – David Thoreau wrote, “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” A goal motivates the team

Check your strategic compass (Look Around) – Vision without venture goes nowhere. The value of a strategy is that it brings process to the vision. It identifies resources and mobilizes the members of the team. Beyond information and inspiration people need instruction. They need instruction in how to make the dream a reality.

Check you visionary compass (Look Beyond) – The vision of the team must look beyond the current circumstances and shortcomings of teammates to see the potential of the team as a unit. Your vision should stretch your team. A far reaching vision will help you to stay focused on the long view and not to focus on the short range failures.

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Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!