Do you have vision?

A business consultant approached a group of three managers who worked for the company that he was hired to conduct leadership consultation for. All three of them were conducting performance reviews with their respective subordinates. The consultant asked the first manager what he was doing. “I am conducting performance reviews!” He then approached the second manager and asked what they were doing. “I am conducting performance reviews to ensure that all of my subordinates are aware of how they are performing, what my expectations are and where they need to perform better going forward.” Finally the consultant went to the third manager and asked the same question. This manager seemed to be the happiest of the three and when asked what she was doing she replied, “I’m developing my team into the best team in this company by developing each member of my team into future leaders.”

All of us have been like the first two managers at some point or time throughout our leadership careers. I love this story because it beautifully illustrates a key leadership quality that often gets overlooked, especially when it comes to mentoring, seeing the bigger picture. All three managers were doing the same thing, but each one gave a very different answer. It’s not a matter of knowing how to conduct performance reviews, each were most likely very seasoned managers, but what set the third manager apart?

All of us have been like the first two managers at some point or time throughout our leadership careers. I love this story because it beautifully illustrates a key leadership quality that often gets overlooked, especially when it comes to mentoring, seeing the bigger picture. All three managers were doing the same thing, but each one gave a very different answer. It’s not a matter of knowing how to conduct performance reviews, each were most likely very seasoned managers, but what set the third manager apart?

As leaders we need to have a vision for the future. Great managers create future managers. But simply having vision is not enough. Great leaders need the ability to show that vision, to share it with their teams, and to inspire their teams to not only understand the vision but to work towards it; the third manager in the story becomes a great leader when her views on performance reviews are shared by her fellow managers.

Great leaders need the ability to show that vision, to share it with their teams, and to inspire their teams to not only understand the vision but to work towards it

As leaders, we often fail our company, employees and ourselves by not seeing a vision. Sometimes we lack a sense of the bigger picture. How do you see yourself?