Now that I’ve been blogging for a couple of months, I decided to try an experiment: to list some of my favorite statements from my articles and books, and instead of discussing them, let them speak for themselves.
You might think they don’t make any sense out of context or that without elaboration they’re too simple… or you might appreciate them because they remind you of what you already know or stimulate your thinking.
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Successful leaders understand that true power comes not from exercising control, but from empowering others.
A vision is a clearly-articulated, results-oriented picture of a future you intend to create. It is a dream with direction.
A real vision is lived, not framed.
Curiosity opens doors. Blame closes them.
People who focus only on a vision live with their heads in the clouds. People who focus only on current reality live with their feet stuck in the mud.
Leadership is about going somewhere. If you don’t know where you’re going, your leadership efforts don’t really matter.
Vision is knowing who you are, where you’re going and what will guide your journey.
If not in service of a shared vision, leadership can become self-serving.
Focus on what you want to create, not what you want to leave behind.
Vision is about being great, not about beating the competition.
On this planet, we are part of one community. If your vision is only about yourself, you are too narrowly focused.
Vision can start anywhere in an organization. It’s not an excuse to say, “My company does not have a vision, so my team can’t have one.”
To achieve your vision, you must be willing to tolerate discomfort and delay gratification in the short term.
The images we hold in our minds have a tremendous impact on the realities we create.
Visioning is a lifelong journey, not a one-time activity.
Hello Jesse,
What a beautiful list of quotes. It makes sense, to see these out of the context of the book. The beauty is that when one reads a quote and uses it for their own purpose, it has great meaning – even when it is out of context how you as an author meant the original text.
Greetings from a very sunny Holland,
Caroline
And a good morning to you, Caroline! It’s always interesting to try an experiment, but one needs feedback to know the results. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Jesse,
Thanks for sharing these wonderful quotes! The theme of vision has been so relevant and pivotal in my own journey and your thoughts and ideas are spot-on.
Sharon
Thanks so much, Sharon! So glad you resonated with these.
Jesse,
Each quote was powerful on it’s own and stimulated thought. Kind of goes hand in hand with “A real vision is lived, not framed.” So you simply made statements without framing them. They were still very effective. Probably had a lot to do with the the ones you choose.
Great idea!
Connie
I love the thought of unframed statements. Thank you for that gift!
Sometimes we just need to cut all the clutter and get to the point. This is a refreshing post and enjoyable read. I think a post like this says a lot about you as well. I often work with people on writing and preparing to deliver their stories. Sometimes this is in as little as 100 words. Its tough to do, but you end up with 100 carefully chosen words that reflect who that person is.
Thanks, Jesse. Great read.
Thanks, Micah. Great point, and you made it in 80 words!
Jesse, each piece of wisdom here creates its own story. I particularly loved, “Curiosity opens doors. Blame closes them.” There is little more to be said after that.
Thank you.
Thanks for your kind words, Gwyn.
Jesse, I have been learning so much more about purpose, vision and mission, as I have been reading the second edition of, “Full Steam Ahead,” which you wrote with Ken Blanchard. I especially appreciate the story behind, “The images we hold in our minds have a tremendous impact on the realities we create.” The lead person in this story said it wasn’t until she saw some jeans she wanted to wear that she kept the vision in mind and was able to follow through on losing weight. It’s amazing what an image like this can do to propel us forward.
Hi Robyn, So glad you’re finding the book helpful. The story you are referring to actually really happened – a participant in a program I was speaking at came up to me at the end and shared her story with me. But it’s even better because the real story is she had lost 50 lbs! I’ve learned so much from listening to people tell me their amazing stories. I’m glad you resonated with that particular quote. It’s the one I have to most passion about and was the topic of one of my blog posts: What Images Are You Shaping Our Future With?
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Looking forward to hearing more from you!
Very cool post, Jesse; definitely has a poetic sensibility!
Thanks, Bruce. Delighted that you visited!