Recently a senior executive asked me to help him with a vision statement. He saw this as an activity that needed to be completed. Although he wasn’t clear about his vision for the company, he just wanted help writing a good statement that would satisfy the board. I don’t think he’s unusual.
I’ve been wondering what happened to vision. It used to be sexy. Is it considered outdated in the context of today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world?… have we “vision experts” failed to communicate it well enough?… have we failed to show how vision links to daily work life? … is the term so overused that it has lost its meaning? Or am I wrong and it’s alive and well?
The Future Is Not What It Used to Be
I have written about my concern before in The Last Thing You Need Is a Vision and also when I asked the question What Happened to Vision? Your Thoughts? where a number of readers shared their thoughts.
To explore this issue further, I invited several leadership experts and thought-leaders to join me in sharing their views.
Not wanting to push my own agenda, I asked them to be candid in their views. Here’s what I said in my invitation:
The question I’d like you to address in some form is: Is vision relevant today?
I’d like to hear what you strongly believe – no matter what that is. I would like my readers to hear from a variety of the brightest thought-leaders. I have no agenda, and I don’t want to shape what you will say.
The Value of Vision Blog Series
Here is what they had to say. You will hear a variety of views because each author has approached the subject differently. Click on the author’s name below to view their post, or move forward through my blog by clicking the name of the next post in the upper right hand corner of the page.
1. Ken Blanchard – Author of The One Minute Manager and over 30 other leadership books.
2. Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner – Authors of The Leadership Challenge.
3. Whitney Johnson – Co-founder of Rose Park Advisors, Clayton Christensen’s investment firm, and regular Harvard Business Review contributor.
4. Doug Conant– Former CEO of Campbell Soup.
5. Shilpa Jain– Executive Director of YES!
6. Daniel Burrus – Technology futurist and author Flash Foresight.
7. Tanvi Gautam – Managing Partner, Global People Tree.
8. Mike Myatt – CEO of N2growth and regular Forbes contributor.
9. Kate Emery – CEO of The Walker Group and founder of reSET Social Enterprise Trust.
10. Jesse Lyn Stoner – me
I hope you will find their posts as thought-provoking as I did and that you will be inspired to join the conversation.
Dear Jesse,
I am looking forward to your series of guest writers. Also I have been catching up on some of your blogposts you mentioned.I believe vision is more important than ever. The more complicated organisations and situations become, the more difficult it gets for individuals to be able to comprehend it fully and to be able to deal with it and connect to the purpose, let alone to execute from their responsibility point of view as a leader or manager. That is what we are doing here to bridge this in a new concept.
I am curious to read the insights your guest writers will provide us with.
Hope to catch up with you soon.
Best regards,
Caroline
Hi Caroline, Thanks so much for sharing your views (which I wholeheartedly agree with), and I’m delighted to hear you will be reading the series. I look forward to hearing your thoughts as you read them.
Hi Jesse,
Thank you for creating this blog series which I am eagerly looking forward to. It will be fascinating to read your guests’ thoughts and perspectives. I too believe vision is more important than ever … it provides a clarity of thought, purpose and direction in an increasingly confused and complicated world. In my experience it also gives individuals permission to think bigger about themselves and their roles than they normally might. It is very timely for me as I have just taken on the role of volunteer vision mentor for a global women’s programme.
All best wishes, Lynne
Thanks for your thoughts, Lynne. And delighted to hear about the perfect timing for you. Best wishes in your exciting new role!
Dear Jesse Lyn Stoner,
I ought to have sought your permission for translating the series into Gujarati, in pursuit of my hobby, through your e-mail.
However, please do treat this comment as a gesture of deep appreciation of the great value that the series brings into the contemporary manager.
WBR,
Ashok M Vaishnv
Dear Ashok,
Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate that you are helping to sharing this important series through your translations.
Best regards,
Jesse