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The Leader as Artist: Painting a Picture of the Future

by Mike  Levy    

You stand there and think, "Should I just toss this thing or could I enjoy the challenge of putting it together without a picture to go by? How will I know how I am progressing? How will I recognize if I have made a mistake or missed an opportunity?"

Over the past two decades of working with clients we have heard similar sentiments expressed about their organization’s predicament.

In today’s business environment of globalization, fast changing markets, rapid growth in staff, and innovation in the development and use of technology, it becomes super-critical for everyone in the organization to have a sense of purpose and direction. Having a clear and vibrant picture of the future you and your staff will be better equipped to adapt to the changes that will occur.

The Power of a Vision

Throughout the history of man, the ability to create a vision, or picture, of a grand future state has been the distinguishing characteristic of great achievers. Consider our forefathers who conceived a great "...nation under God, with liberty and justice for all," to Martin Luther King, who had "a dream that one day....", and John Kennedy who envisioned "the peaceful exploration of space." Most great achievement is preceded by an inspiring picture of the future.

For example, during a speech to Congress in 1961 President John Kennedy proposed committing this nation to achieving "mastery of space" in order to "win the battle between freedom and tyranny." He challenged this nation to "land a man on the Moon and return him safely to earth" and to do it by the end of the decade. On July 20, 1969, just over seven years later, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldren walked on the surface of the moon and returned safely home. This is the power of an inspiring vision.

Leadership and vision

Regardless of whether you are leading a nation, a corporation or an association of volunteers, it is the leader’s role and function to:

provide a clear picture of where he/she or the organization is headed

inspire others to align with that vision and

involve others in this aligning process so that a "shared vision" is adopted.

Twenty five of the most important questions to ask when formulating a vision

We find that one approach to helping our clients to develop a vision is to ask a lot of questions. The process of asking questions begins with some analysis of the current situation and then moves to the creative visioning process.

Use the following twenty-five questions with your staff to gather ideas and thoughts about where you might lead your own organization in the future:

Who are we?

Who are we not?

What purpose do we currently serve?

What unique contributions are we currently making?

What business are we in?

What do we stand for? What values do we hold to be nonnegotiable?

What competencies do we possess that give us a competitive advantage?

Who are our customers (internal/external)?

What products or services are we now delivering to our customers (internal/external) that they value? What do our customers value?

How do our customers (internal/external) feel about our process/system for delivering our products and/or services?

What need is not being met for our customers (internal/external)?

Are there customers (internal/external) who are not being served at all?

What market niche are we serving better than our competitors?

How might our competitors answer these questions?

Looking ahead, what might we be if there were no limitations?

What do we aspire to be?

How would we differ from the way we are now?

What business would we be in that we are not now in?

What service or product doesn’t presently exist that would fill a future need?

Do we need to innovate new products/services or augment our current products/services?

What trends in our environment would....

...create a new niche?

...present a new obstacle?

...demand a new competency?

What will people be saying about us that they are not currently saying?

What will we hear people in our organization saying or see them doing differently?

How will we feel about ourselves if we achieve our vision?

Assuming we achieve our grand vision, what greater purpose will be served?

As you and your staff consider your responses you will be painting a picture of the future. As this picture develops and you gain a sharper focus on what you aspire to achieve, a vision will develop that is dynamic, vibrant and challenging.

You are now ready to assemble the puzzle and create a picture of the future. Each and every member of the organization will be willing and able to commit and to aggressively pursue this vision with inspired performance. This is the power of the leader as artist.


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Copyright© 2002, Mike Levy. All right reserved. For information contact Frog Pond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@frogpond.com.