One Misconception About Vision

Vision and leadership seem to play in the same sandbox. It is unlikely you can talk about one without alluding to the other. During a conversation with my wife, she shared a powerful lesson about one particular misconception some leaders have about vision.

It is important for leaders to have vision - I doubt I’ll get any objections there. However, vision doesn’t always originate from the mind (or any other faculty) of one leader. More often than not, vision is born from collaborating with others. In fact, the best idea or vision may come from someone else, even though you are the main leader or “visionary”. This is very likely if you have been leading for an extended period of time. I’ve seen leaders catch their proverbial second wind because of the vision and dream of someone else. This dynamic leads to all sorts of issues, if not managed well.

Leaders need to see themselves as not only creators of vision but also incubators and nurturers of vision. You can’t lead or have vision alone in a vacuum. There is no “I” in team, nor are there any one set of eyes. If you lead other leaders, you will recognize that. When was the last time you collaborated on vision with someone else?