Visions in Leadership
"The important thing is to strive towards a goal which is not immediately visible. That goal is not the concern of the mind, but of the spirit." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Flight to Arras, 1942, translated from French by Lewis Galantière
The most important role any leader has is to dream and to have vision. Without this focus, all things become stagnant and uninteresting. The second most important role is to move towards it no matter how tedious and unpleasant some of the work or effort may be.
Related: Vision Planning for Leaders
"Goals are dreams with deadlines." ~Diana Scharf Hunt
Here are some general practices that keep you moving and flowing toward your vision, the dream.
If you dread doing it - make it the first thing you do in the morning and get it off your list
If you keep forgetting to do it - make a to-do list/reminder and then do it
If you second-guess yourself - go back to your first answer and get it done
If you want to leave it to later - move up to...
When To Release Control of Things in Leadership
“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell
Every executive who moves into their personal best of leadership has the ability to shed control to the appropriate people. This is a difficult and important focus especially when shifts in economy and market require organizations to shift. While it may be important to rightsize and downsize it is imperative that this not be the control mechanism you use to lead or guide a team or company. The key to growth is to grow.... in order to do that it takes the ability to let go of old actions and move into the right activities to grow your organization.
“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell
Related: Vision Planning as a Leader
Indicators it is time to let go:
No one can do it as well...
When to Let Go as a Leader
“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell
Every executive who moves into their personal best of leadership has the ability to shed control to the appropriate people. This is a difficult and important focus especially when shifts in economy and market require organizations to shift. While it may be important to rightsize and downsize it is imperative that this not be the control mechanism you use to lead or guide a team or company. The key to growth is to grow.... in order to do that it takes the ability to let go of old actions and move into the right activities to grow your organization.
“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell
Related: The Do's and Don'ts of Commitment
Indicators it is time to let go:
No one can do it as...
Quality Growth as a Leader Needs Creativity
"There are two ways of being creative. One can sing and dance. Or one can create an environment in which singers and dancers flourish."
Warren G. Bennis
There is no growth even in nature without planting new seeds. Successful leaders understand the common sense truth nature offers daily. If you want your team, organization and company to grow you have to create a cycle of new ideas, good environment, good management, and good marketing. Simple....yet somehow gets complicated with interesting notions.
Fear is the primary impediment of creativity and strong growth. Deming wrote of this with his point number eight "obligation of management" was to drive fear out of the organization. Fear of being fired, reprisals, losing status, or being different weakens the growth cycle of a company. Deming believed that quality, innovation, and creativity all required risk taking and the willingness to speak up.
