Vision Archive - The Art of Communicating

The leap to our vision

Here’s why some leaders struggle to align their team behind their vision: They haven’t made the leap from “my vision” to “our vision”.

When it’s “my vision”, why should the team care? They will do their job because they’re paid to do so. But anything more than that? You will need some decent persuasion skills and perhaps have to drop in an incentive or two.

But when it’s “our vision”, that’s a different journey. It’s as much their drive as it is yours. Even if they might not burn for it just as much as you do, the team is intrinsically motivated to get there.

So, what about “your vision” makes it “our vision”? How does it align with what matters to the team? Where’s the common drive?

A great way to find out is through conversations. Great visions aren’t usually crafted at night, sitting at a desk in a dark office. Much more often, they are the results of curiosity and exploration, asking questions and listening closely to what others have to say.

The better you understand what matters to the people on your team, the better you’ll be positioned to transition from “your vision” to “our vision”, a vision that not only motivates you but the whole team.

PS: Reach out if you need support.

On to something new

Heading there means leaving here.

Change becomes easier once we acknowledge that.

What will we gain?
But also, what will we miss?

What’s pulling us ahead?
But also, what’s holding us back?

Some change initiatives fail because they are framed as “here it’s bad” vs “there it’s glorious”.

But it’s hardly ever black and white.
In fact, it’s often not an easy choice.
For some team members, it’ll be a tough journey.

Instead of dismissing the “here”, it would make it easier for them if we embraced the fact that some things have actually been pretty good over here.

In moving forward, we do not have to forget the past.

We can carry forward our experiences, our lessons,
the very essence of who we are.

This is what transforms the journey into our journey.

Grand visions for 2024

Grand visions for 2024 are a dime a dozen.

The actual challenge is to patiently distill the essence of your vision and effectively share it in a way that resonates deeply with your team, investors, and customers.

What do you see exactly? Can you articulate it? Can you get really specific about what you see for the future?

But also, do you listen carefully? To your team, the market, and even to your inner voice?

Are you open to feedback and different perspectives, which can refine and sometimes even challenge your vision?

Do you understand how your vision aligns with the values, aspirations, and needs of your team, investors, and customers?

This specificity is a powerful tool. Because the clearer you see something, the better you can articulate that thing in a way that others see it, too.

When you’re able to articulate your vision with the clarity that allows others to see it, too, it transforms from a personal dream into a collective journey that everyone is invested in.

What do you see?

Context isn’t a luxury

When you just throw tasks at your team without context, what do you get? People doing the bare minimum because they don’t see the bigger picture.

But when you take a moment to explain the ‘why’, it’s a game-changer. Instead of micromanaging you pursue clarity. Instead of throwing tasks at them you empower them to make choices. Instead of blindly following orders, your team can innovate and take charge.

Think of it this way: just handing someone a puzzle piece versus showing them the full image.

Context isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity.

By offering clarity, you’re not just getting tasks done, you’re building leaders.

Take the time to explain things.When everyone gets it, they can take charge.

Beyond the vision

A visionary leader steps in, armed with fresh ideas and an eagerness to disrupt. Bold plans are set: reinvent traditional practices, leverage modern tools, shift paradigms.

Then bold plans meet confidence and the leader doesn’t waste a single second putting it into practice. He confidently leads the way.

Only to discover that the team doesn’t follow.

The leader’s vision for the destination is evident. But that’s not enough when crucial questions remain unanswered: “Why are we heading there?”, “Why is this journey ours to undertake?”, and “How do we make choices along the way?”

These questions are not mere details. They form the bedrock of collective understanding and commitment.

That’s the difference between “leading the way” and “lighting the path”. While the former may define direction, the latter provides clarity on the journey’s purpose, the team’s unique role, and the principles that guide decision-making along the way.

True leadership fuses vision with shared purpose. It ensures not just movement, but meaningful progress.

When a team understands the destination, grasps the significance of their role, and is equipped with decision-making compasses, they’re not just following — they’re embarking on a shared odyssey.

PS: I’m assembling a list of leaders who master this. If you know one, no matter if they’re well known or not, please reply to tell me about them!

Different answers

If you asked every member on your team where they think you’re headed, how many different answers would you get?

When was the last time you asked?

If they asked you, what would you respond?

PS: May I ask you a favor? Respond to this post with a single number, the number of sentences it took you to answer that question.

A quick question

Imagine a scenario where your team feels as invested in the company’s vision as you are; what changes in your leadership approach would foster that environment?

Would love to hear your thoughts on that!

Ambitious vs. satisfied

“I’m satisfied with what I have. I don’t need more.”

It can be a huge source of frustration when ambitious leaders clash with this kind of a team member.

The leader wants more, but the team does not. They are satisfied.

Which, of course, means that the leader has failed to inspire the team to want more. There is no strong reason for them to want more. And so, they rightfully choose to invest their energy in other activities outside of their work life.

A natural reaction for some leaders would be to exchange the team and ask HR to find more ambitious people for their team. But that will only last for so long.

Unless … there’s a strong reason for team members to want more. If you want your team to be more ambitious, light them a path that’s meaningful and fulfilling for them.

The indifference of PowerPoint

One of the big problems with PowerPoint presentations is how they are indifferent to their content so often. The bigger the company, the bigger the problem. It shows like this: Neither the presenter nor their slides provide any hint as to whether the presentation is about a trivial matter or something important. Whether it’s just pure information or a reason to celebrate.

Everything just always looks the same in that same boring corporate slide layout. Everything just always follows the same proven agenda. And everything is just always presented in the same monotonous style.

The worst part: apparently it’s just the way it is … and given the committee decision making process, there seems to be nothing you can do about it. When everything has to be approved by a number of departments and hierarchical levels, every divergence is quickly ironed out again (I mean: “what if someone doesn’t like it?”).

It’s just the way it is. Or is it?

Tell me about your strategies to navigate around the indifference of PowerPoint presentations.

Surrounded by great people

Good leaders surround themselves with great people. What sometimes keeps them from becoming great leaders is when they stop there, believing that their team of great people will somehow figure it out. (Which they probably will. Or not.)

What separates a team of great people from a great team is the “team” part. The feeling of “us”. The feeling that as a team we can achieve much greater things than any one of us could on their own.

Why do we exist – as a team? Where are we headed – as a team? What is the impact that we’re here to make? These are the lights that great leaders shine on the path of their teams.

Great leadership is not about figuring things out. That’s what the team is great at. Great leadership is about lighting the path. So that the team figures out the right things in the right way.

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