At a recent retreat, Board Members found signs on the walls … signs extolling the virtues of their organization; signs with motivational slogans; signs with parables.  One sign stood out from all the rest.  It simply said,

A Good Leader Creates A Shared Vision

One of the dictionary’s definitions of vision is the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be and it is this meaning that the sign was referencing.  A good leader creates a vision of what a business or the world will look like in the future if specific actions are taken today.  A good leader is able to describe this future in a way that enables others to see it as well.  This is what a good leader does.

A great leader, on the other hand, takes it a step or two farther.  Great leaders create a vision and lead their followers into it; first in the mind and then in reality.

Great leaders communicate their vision in terms that empower their followers to believe that it can become a reality.  They describe their vision in terms that enable their followers to see it; to smell it; to taste it; to feel it.  They use words that appeal to the senses of the listener.  Most importantly, great leaders communicate that vision so clearly that their followers can see themselves in that vision and know how great it will be when they turn the dream into a reality.  To illustrate, consider two individuals who qualified for the same incentive trip awarded to top sales people by the company that they worked for.  Both were asked by a colleague to describe a part of the trip and why they had both been willing to work so hard to win the trip.  Ironically, they both talked about the same part of the trip when they answered the question.

David’s answer:  “It was really great.  We went to this winery where they make champagne.  They gave each of us a glass of champagne.  We drank it out on the patio.”

Louie’s answer:  “We took the most awesome trip to a wine cellar where they make champagne.  After touring the winery and seeing how champagne is made, they gave each of us glasses of champagne and invited us to go out on their patio for champagne with sour dough bread and cheese.  It was amazing!  Here we are, sitting on this terra cotta patio with this huge fountain in the middle of it under a sky that was so blue and so bright that it hurt your eyes to look up at it.  When you looked across the patio, there were these little white cotton ball puffs of cloud floating over the hills.  When I closed my eyes, I could hear the breeze rustling the leaves in these huge eucalyptus trees and the water drops tinkling in the fountain.  When I took a bite of the bread, it had this really sharp bite to it from the sour dough.  Then, I put a piece of cheese in my mouth and it was so smooth it just melted in my mouth.  Finally, I took a sip of the champagne and felt the bubbles dancing across my tongue.  In that moment, I thought, ‘this is living … this is why I worked so hard … so I could savor this moment!”

As the people standing nearby listened to Louie’s description of that afternoon, they could see the sky; taste the bite of the sour dough and the melting cheese; feel the champagne bubbles dancing in their mouths.  Most importantly, they could see themselves qualifying for the next incentive trip and enjoying a similar moment.

Like Louie, great leaders communicate their vision so that others see it and see themselves being a part of it.  Great leaders inspire their followers to pursue the vision and build it as a reality.

As you share your vision with your followers, choose your words with care and make certain that you draw your listeners into the vision and help them not only see it, but help them feel the pride of success that comes from turning that dream into reality and being a part of the team that made it so.