Vision grabs . . .
Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus – a couple of gurus whose work on leadership studies I greatly respect – made this statement, about the importance of casting a clear compelling vision, in their book Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge (p.28):
“When the organization has a clear sense of its purpose, direction, and desired future state and when this image is widely shared, individuals are able to find their roles both in the organization and in the larger society of which they are a part. This empowers individuals and confers status upon them because they can see themselves as part of a worthwhile enterprise. They gain a sense of importance, as they are transformed from robots blindly following instructions to human beings engaged in a creative and purposeful venture. When individuals feel that they can make a difference and that they can improve the society in which they are living through their participation in an organization, then it is much more likely that they will bring vigor and enthusiasm to their tasks an that the results of their work will be mutually reinforcing. Under these conditions, the human energies of the organization are aligned toward a common end, and a major recondition for success has been satisfied.”
When we provide a clear compelling attainable vision for the future for which people are willing to invest their time, energies, and resources, we enable them to work together to achieve what individually they deemed impossible before.