Approaches to Leadership Vision
Do good business leaders see the world differently than others? Vision is how we look at the world. Some of us are detail people -- some of us are big idea people, looking at things from 40,000 feet. The best leaders combine the two together. With leadership vision, they define a dream and direction that other people want to share and follow.
Business leaders come in a variety of shapes and styles. Some leaders concern themselves with every detail of the organization while others prefer to enjoy the "big picture" view from 50,000 feet. But as the leader, you have to wonder which vision of leadership is best for your company?
The answer is more complicated than you think. Each approach has advantages as well as some significant disadvantages. If you're not sure where you fall on the leadership spectrum, here are some points you may want to consider.
Big Picture Leadership Style
Big picture leaders tend to invest their time and energy in obtaining a global perspective of their business and the marketplace in general. Under the right circumstances a global perspective can offer huge benefits because it gives your business the ability to pounce on gaps in the marketplace and other opportunities that never even appear on the competition's radar. In some cases, this kind of leadership can also give you the ability to implement a strategic plan several steps ahead of your peers. Big picture leaders can more easily express the future in a way that excites employees will capture their imagination.
However, big picture vision has its limitations. An uncanny ability to assess gaps in the marketplace is worthless unless your company is capable of delivering the products the market requires. If you are out of touch with the daily operation of your business, chances are you won't have any idea what you are capable of delivering and the goals you set will be unrealistic at best. Your vision may be seen as eccentric and lacking reality testing. People may actually disengage because they cannot connect to a lofty, unrealistic vision. I remember hearing the CEO for a $20B global company state that she believed the company could change the way employees are treated around the world – not her employees, all employees. The audience (the key leaders in her company) scoffed. Most thought she would be better served to focus on her own employees.
Detail-Oriented Leadership Styles
Detail-oriented leaders have the advantage when it comes to knowing what their business is actually capable of delivering. Frequent interaction with those responsible for the business' day-to-day operations provides leaders with an intimate knowledge of the company's capacity to adapt and leverage new opportunities when they arise.
The downside of detail-oriented leaders is that they have difficulty capturing the imagination of their employees. They cast a vision based on data and past experience, not necessarily on what could be. They create a vision that lacks inspiration.
A Hybrid Approach to Leadership
In my opinion the best leaders are the ones who are capable of developing a leadership vision that combines the best of both worlds. These leaders remain acutely aware of the details of running the business and understand the marketplace. They maintain a current understanding of what is happening in every aspect of the operation, from purchasing raw materials to delivering the final product. However, their participation in the business doesn't deter them from actively seeking a higher-level perspective. They regularly and intentionally create space in their schedule to step away from the details and assess the big picture. They may even design a reading regimen of books and periodicals to help create distance between themselves and the details from time to time. They allow for unbridled creativity and visioning first; then they sprinkle in reality testing last. The first task enables the leader to capture imagination and hope for a new future. The last step enables the leader to convey the steps and actions necessary for achieving the vision. It helps generate a vision that is within other’s zone of comfort. These steps allow for dream and direction.
How do you approach leadership vision? Remember….
“There’s nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can’t clearly articulate why we’re doing what we’re doing.” – James Kouzes and Barry Posner
|
