A Visionary Leader Is A Person Who Has A Clear Idea of How The Future Should Look
A Visionary Leader Is A Person Who Has A Clear Idea of How The Future Should Look
A Visionary Leader Is A Person Who Has A Clear Idea of How The Future Should Look
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1. Persistent
They don’t settle for “good enough.” Visionary leaders want to try new things, find new opportunities
and know how to stay the course. They are resilient and resolute. They never give up, even when
things get difficult.
2. Bold
They are tough and determined individuals who are not easily intimidated. They are prepared to fight
policies and institutions that have been in place for a long time. They are masters of resisting
pressures both internal and external. Visionaries aren’t afraid of failure, only of never trying. They
cultivate that same tenacity in their teammates as well.
3. Strategic
Strategic planning is a skill many visionary leaders possess. They can envision what they want the
future to look like, and then strategize on how to get there. Since they’re not detail-oriented, the
strategic plan may not include all the technicalities, but it will be a starting point for the big picture.
4. Risk-taking
Visionary leaders understand risks, and they are willing to take them.
5. Communicative
They are skilled at communicating their ideas and getting others to believe in them.
6. Organized
They are highly organized and pay close attention to the team they gather around them. Often,
visionary leaders are highly involved in systems analysis to determine who should be doing what
when and how often.
7. Focused
Visionary leaders can maintain focus. Once the goal is identified, the leader starts taking steps to
reach it, even when that means changing the minds of others around them. They work hard to display
the characteristics they want to see in their team.
8. Optimistic
Visionaries are inherently positive people. They see the future as bright and problems as temporary.
Those around them draw strength from their steadfast optimism.
9. Magnetic
Visionaries draw people to them with a welcoming, open persona that brings out the best qualities in
those around them.
10. Collaborative
Visionary leaders know that team member buy-in is much more readily achieved when everyone is
invited to participate in the creative process. They use the strengths of their team members to
balance their own weaknesses, and they embrace creativity and new ideas.
11. Innovative
Visionaries have a great imagination. They aren’t afraid to ask “what if,” and they instill a love for that
question in those around them.
12. Open-minded
Even if they are dedicated to the big picture in their minds, they can be flexible about how to reach
that vision. They can assimilate information from many sources to develop creative solutions.
13. Emotionally intelligent
Not only are visionary leaders intelligent in the traditional sense of the word, but they’re also
emotionally intelligent. They understand the power of feelings and are capable of showing empathy to
those around them.
14. Inspirational
You can find visionaries quoted in motivational speeches and self-help books. They know how to
make us passionate about a goal or vision.
Big picture leaders may miss important details. Some visionaries can force themselves to
develop the ability to focus on details, but this is rare. For this reason, it is much more common
for visionary leaders to hire detail-oriented people to work closely with them.
Those with a visionary management style may sacrifice present-day circumstances on
the idea of the future. They may ignore important issues that need their attention in the moment
because they are so future-oriented.
Visionary leaders may miss other opportunities because they are so focused on one goal.
They may refuse to change the plan or abandon it, even when it doesn’t make sense anymore.
Good visionary leaders understand the value of a mission statement. They know how it
can solidify the vision among team members. They begin a project with a clearly contemplated
plan that includes everything from processes to staff analysis.
Visionary leaders are always looking for improvement. They actively seek out opportunities
to create buy-in from employees by improving company structures.
Visionary leaders share the vision with the right people at the right time. They invite
others to give input and ideas so the vision is shared and not just the property of one person.
In any period of change, conflict is bound to come up. In times of conflict, practice deep breaths or
step away if you need to. It’s better to take time to process the issue than to react out of emotion.
Empathize
Empathy is an important part of leadership, and vital to good communication. Try viewing things from
a different perspective, even if you don’t like the point of view.
Maintaining eye contact and asking clarifying questions are key when communicating with others.
Pay attention to the physical cues of the person you’re talking to. Look for signals that you’re being
understood and well-received, and be sure to keep your body language friendly and welcoming.
Be assertive
If you’re asking someone to buy into your vision for the future, you need to do so with confidence
while still being respectful. Work on maintaining an even tone of voice and setting forth concrete
assertions.
Vision is our view of the future. Vision is the portrait of our hopes and dreams. It is our mental picture
of what might be, but is not yet.
Vision gives us a sense of purpose and guides us as we work in the present. In organizations, a
vision statement articulates what the organization aspires to accomplish.
Visionary leaders energize and inspire people to work toward this future goal. They are able to clearly
and vividly communicate what the future holds. Visionary leaders anticipate what’s coming, both
opportunities and obstacles. They are able to connect the dots between various trends and events
and interpret how what is happening today might impact the future.
Visionary leaders work with the end in mind. They know where they are headed and why they are
going there. They are able to work in the present moment while also looking forward to where the
organization is heading. They provide strong direction for the path ahead and give well-defined
rationale for how the decisions of the present relate to the vision of the future.
Not only are visionary leaders able to see things early, we are also able to put various pieces of
information together in a manner that is coherent and makes sense. Despite being bombarded with
information from multiple sources, we are able to filter through what is important and what is not. We
are able to put seemingly random pieces of information together and draw logical and meaningful
conclusions from them.
The degree of risk we face varies from decision to decision. Some risks are potentially costlier, and
some risks are more difficult to manage. Yet risk is a part of our lives, and while we can work to
mitigate risks, they are still a reality. Even doing nothing is a risk. In fact, the risk of doing nothing may
eventually be greater than the risk of taking action. I have always believed that if we are complacent
as an organization, we are at a greater risk of becoming irrelevant. This fear causes me to continually
question the way things are and to push our organization to explore new opportunities.
Very few large-scale visions have ever been achieved without the help of others. As a result of this
realization, I have learned that it is important to ask employees to share their thoughts and offer
suggestions for the vision of the organization. The insights they have offered have altered our
organization’s vision in many positive ways.
By including others in our thinking and planning for the future, we have created a shared and
inclusive future – one that everyone in our organization can feel proud of.