The Importance of Vision

“Alice asked the Cheshire Cat, who was sitting in a tree, “What road do I take?” The cat asked, “Where do you want to go?” “I don’t know,” Alice answered. “Then,” said the cat, “it really doesn’t matter, does it?”– Alice in Wonderland

“Leadership is about going somewhere. If you and your people don’t know where you are going, your leadership doesn’t matter.” – Ken Blanchard

This article series is about learning how to serve well as leaders and create high-performing organizations. We are relying on the over 40 years of wisdom and experience of Ken Blanchard and his associates as we go. 

In his work, Blanchard lays out four keys to serving well as a leader. They are:

• Set your sights on the right target and vision. 
• Treat customers right. 
• Treat your people right.
• Have the right kind of leadership. 

Last week we learned about setting the right targets. The right target for a servant leader is the quadruple bottom line. The four bottom lines are:

• Provider of choice.
• Employer of choice.
• Investment of choice.
• Corporate citizen of choice. (This one is a late add and was not in Blanchard’s original triple bottom line. But, look around. Do you want to do business with organizations that are improving the world or just getting rich off it?)

This week we turn to vision. Jesse Stoner studied the team members of over 500 leaders to find out what kind of leadership created high-performing teams. Stoner found that leaders who demonstrated strong visionary leadership had the highest-performing teams. Stoner found that in over 90% of the organizations studied, team members were not clear about the vision of the organization. They did not know where the organization was trying to go. Therefore, they couldn’t see how their work was contributing. This lack of shared vision causes confusion, wasted energy, and misplaced priorities. 

Vision allows us to create the future we desire. It empowers team members to make wise decisions that draw the organization closer to the vision. 

Blanchard defines vision in three parts. I have always used the same parts but discussed them as interdependent components of organizational clarity. I’m glad Blanchard agrees with me (ha, ha!). Blanchard’s three vision elements are:

• Significant Purpose – A reason for the organization to exist that is greater than profit. 
• Picture of the Future – What will the future look like if you are successful?
• Clear Values – What guides your behavior as you pursue the vision?

Purpose

Purpose is the organization’s reason for being beyond making a profit. It is something that everyone in the organization takes part in and can feel proud about. Disney is in the happiness business. The janitor at NASA during the Apollo missions was putting a man on the moon. Merck exists to preserve and improve human life. Zappos exists to deliver happiness. At Fowler & Company, our purpose is to help leaders build great businesses and better lives for themselves and the people they lead. 

What is the greater reason why your organization exists? What is your Why?

A Picture of the Future

This should be a vivid mental picture. Imagery is a powerful tool used by athletes. It works for corporate athletes as well. 

Walt Disney’s picture was expressed in the charge he gave every cast member: “Keep the same smile on people’s faces when they leave the park as when they entered.”

John F. Kennedy expressed his vision in 1961 – to place a man on the moon by the end of the decade and bring him home safely. The materials and technology required to accomplish this feat didn’t exist in 1961, but the vision rallied America around the cause and we did it. 

Ford’s vision in the early 1900’s was to democratize the automobile. 

Walmart had the vision to be a $125 billion company by 2000. They set this vision in 1990 when sales were at $32 billion. Walmart hit its target in 1999 and is a $559 billion company today.

Clear Values

Core values are the guard rails on the highway to your vision. They set the parameters of behavior that is acceptable. Team members should be empowered to make decisions that get you closer to the vision while honoring the core values. 

Core values define culture. If you have a culture you love, codify it in your core values so you don’t lose it. If you want a better culture, set aspirational core values and drive your organization to them. 

Hire, fire, promote, celebrate and correct using your core values. We love defining the core values and then stating “therefore we will” statements to define behavior. “Therefore we won’t” statements can be helpful too! Make it crazy clear how to live out each core value and hold everyone in the organization (including senior leadership) accountable for living them out.

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