Do You Have a Compelling Vision?

Dear Uncommon Leaders, 

How are you doing? As you continue re-engaging individually and collectively within your organization, this week we will focus on vision. Start off strong this week and keep pressing ahead towards your goals!

Your Sunday Nugget

This Week's Question:

This week there are two questions:
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1. What is the vision for your organization?
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2. Does it create incredible excitement and drive in you and your team?

This Week's Challenge: 

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy stood before congress and shared the vision of our country sending a man to the moon and bringing him back safely to earth by the end of the decade. This set in motion a ton of activity including committing to a significant budget and mobilizing people all over our country to see this vision realized.

This was, in my opinion, a great example of a compelling vision that created the engagement, focus and urgency that led to the achievement.  We can never underestimate the power of a compelling vision.

This week your challenge is to evaluate your organization’s vision. Talk about it. Confess if it really doesn’t fire you up and if it doesn’t, don’t be afraid to go in search of a new vision. It really is the fuel that can ignite team engagement.

Here are four filters that might help. A great vision should:

1. Be something you can envision, almost like a movie in your head that you can see play out. It must activate our imaginations.

2. Scare you a bit. JFK’s vision was not without significant risk. If you know the story, there were significant failures along the way including tragedy with Apollo 1.

3. Mobilize and drive the team. To achieve a big vision, not only does the team need to be bought it but they need to be driven to overcome the day to day challenges that are bound to occur along the way.

4. Measurable. Often vision statements are vague and leave no real way to know if they are achieved. JFK’s vision was clear and had a timeline.

This Week's Quote to Ponder:

“Vision is a destination – a fixed point to which we focus all effort. Strategy is a route – an adaptable path to get us where we want to go.” -Simon Sinek

“A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more.” Rosabeth Moss Kanter

“A boring vision wastes a significant opportunity to ignite our teams” -Anonymous

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Until next week,

LET'S GO BE UNCOMMON!

W. Kevin Harrison

Founder and Executive Coach

Uncommon Influence

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