Getting an organization on the same page and heading in the same direction is a larger task than one might imagine. There are various personalities and even personal agendas at stake.  Emerging from the crowd should be a leader with vision and clarity.  This is not an easy task to carry out but whoever said leadership was easy?  Taking the bold steps to bring vision to an organization will make the difference in whether it will move forward or die.  This is painful in the beginning but awesome when accomplished.

Organizational vision is:

1-     Contemplative – Real vision cannot be “conjured” up or pulled together flippantly.  There must be thought and preparation.  This comes from looking at the possibilities through the lens of an open mind.  A leader cannot be selfish or single-minded.  Looking at things from various perspectives gives a broader view of potential.

2-     Comparative – An organizational vision must be unique to the particular organization.  There is not a one-size-fits-all vision out there.  With that said though, a real leader will learn as much as possible about the vision of other organizations.  This allows a learning curve from the success and failure of others. That is much less painful and less expensive than learning for oneself.  Take the good and the usable information and plug those components into the vision that is beginning to form for your own organization.

3-     Complex – Not only is organizational vision not easy to develop, it is not easy to implement.  The reasons are many, it hinges on the people and personalities involved.  A team is usually made up of a mixture of personality traits.  This is good, and what makes a team work, but it can also stall out the planning of vision.  Everyone sees vision through their own eyes.  This is where the leader must become creative.  After analyzing the vision DNA of each team member, the leader will then be equipped to take parts of each person and weave them into the vision of the organization.  This allows each team member to feel validated and gives them a “buy-in” to the overall vision.

4-     Corrective – You cannot have a staff meeting in a conference room or at a leadership retreat and create a “once and done” vision for your organization.  You may define the direction, the purpose, and even the means to get there, but you cannot plan for the deviations that the organization may face.  When you understand where you want the organization to end up, you have to stay focused on it.  When things get off track to the left or right, don’t fret, simply get your eyes back on the big picture and make the necessary corrections to move toward the finish line.  Looking at the end again, will help you to correct your current course and get everything back on track.

When an organization knows where it is going, and has a leader capable and ready to take them there, the sky is the limit.