By Karen Abrams, MBA
IT & Startup Business Consultant
The respected publication, Harvard Business Review has declared that “Being forward-looking, envisioning exciting possibilities and enlisting others in a shared view of the future, are the attributes that most distinguishes leaders from non-leaders.”
The publication surveyed tens of thousands of working people around the world, and asked, “What do you look for and admire in a leader (defined as someone whose direction you would willingly follow)?” Then they asked, “What do you look for and admire in a colleague (defined as someone you’d like to have on your team)?” The number one requirement of a leader—honesty—was also the top-ranking attribute of a good colleague, but the second-highest requirement of a leader, that he or she be forward-looking, applied only to the leader role.
But what is this ‘forward-looking’ attribute that is so highly valued in leaders by people all around the world? That ‘forward-looking’ attribute is also known as vision. Vision can be defined as a picture in the leader’s mind that motivates people to action when communicated compellingly, passionately and clearly. Citizens and employees embrace shared visions and shared visions are developed when leaders listen closely to others, identify their hopes, and attend to their needs.
A bold, clear vision serves to excite employees and motivate them to continue to work with enthusiasm in less than ideal conditions.
Employees are more likely to embrace sacrifice to achieve a leader’s vision when a clear objective has been communicated to them about where they are going, how they are going to get there, how they will benefit and the measures that identify progress on the road to achieving that vision.
In the technology industry, visionary leadership is even more critical because technology goals are usually big, complicated and often times out of the realm of most people’s frame of reference. Because the benefits which include operational efficiency, lower costs, competitive advantage, increased productivity and overall improvement in the standard of living, are so critical to a company’s success, employees must be properly apprised of the importance and benefits of any technology investments needed; especially investments that will require personal sacrifice, delay of gratification, and trust in leadership, to ensure that the big vision is achieved and that everyone feels a personal contribution to the achievement of that vision.
A lack of technology vision could result in a series of small, “good enough” decisions that satisfy today’s needs but ultimately lock leaders into a structurally inferior system or strategy. It could mean product or project failure, exposure to strong new competitive threats, increased costs or redundant expenditures, dependence on exorbitant service providers and organizational failure.
To be a visionary, a leader needs to be willing to access the inputs and resources that will help her to craft a clear vision of the future. Leaders must also possess the ability to detect opportunity and swiftly act on it. The difficult task is communicating that vision with clarity and passion in order to motivate and inspire people to take action. A visionary leader who clearly and passionately communicates his or her vision can motivate employees to act with passion and purpose, thereby ensuring that everyone is working toward a common goal. The end result is that everyone contributes to the organization’s forward momentum.
Some scholars believe these kinds of inspirational leaders, who can shape how people think and how they see themselves, are particularly well suited to times of upheaval. Fundamentally, tough times require leaders who are able to make decisions, work with others, and wield power in an intelligent, productive way.
It is important to note that the intent is not to conflate the ability to communicate a big vision with bombastic, high profile, charismatic leadership. Indeed, according to one recent study, it was determined that leaders who have “exceptional powers of persuasion” are ultimately harmful because it’s too easy for them to overcome dissent and opposition to their ideas, some of which may very well prove to be destructive to an organization.
