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Loading ...If prophets are despised in their own land, where does that leave Visionaries – are they trapped or liberated by their own insight? The V word has increasingly wide currency but is far more often misappropriated than warranted. So how do you recognise a true visionary among the pretenders?
Picture credit: krish.tipirneni
Well there is an obvious distinction between self-declared and acclaimed visionaries, the former generally appropriate importance to themselves while the latter usually, but not always, have a substantive claim to visionhood.
Of course, many people may have what we glibly call Vision but only a few truly effective Visionaries will recognise the importance of joining up the intellectual and operational frameworks that connect vision, strategy and delivery; thereby lies the potential for true value, dynamic quality and core capability.
Who do you think are the real visionaries of the present day – and why are they worthy of the term?
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The answer is quite simple… Whether or not that Visionary is trapped or liberated is determined by their ability to communicate that vision! You are Liberated by finding the right resources, bringing those resources around the same table so each has a stake in it and watching your vision become reality OR be Trapped by the very same thoughts because you cannot connect to the aforementioned resources and sustain the relationships necessary to bring it to pass. The only thing I know that would cause the latter outcome is pride. Pride in realizing no great vision comes to pass because of one person’s idea but is shaped and molded by all of those involved. Much like the concept of leadership, which really is a form a servitude – a servant to the Vision flowing though the Visionary, the path illuminated 1 step at a time. The vision stops when communication stops, and so therefore all successful visionaries you will find are good communicators first.
Lets do a quick summary
- I have a vision
- How do I turn this vision into reality?
- Firstly – it has to be advantageous to the politicians in whose sphere this operates or influences – a vision without payback to role players will stay a vision.. (Politicians – people who have the power to make things either happen or not.)
- Secondly – do I have the ability to drive through this vision or have access to a group or leader with enough ability and need to seen this turned to reality.
- Thirdly – what resources are needed – sometimes, especially in our current economic climate visionaries are seen as luxury, an expense which can be cut until we have space to breathe again.
Who is an example of a visionary –
Bill Gates – started a college kid playing with some OS’es – now he is driving a major humanitarian effort – visionary?
Scott McNealy – similar – built stuff that people wanted at the right time – but inertia caught up with him. Sometimes the vision is hard to sustain.
Jonathan Swartz – ex. CEO of Sun Microsystems – he acted like a visionary but his ideas did not fly – maybe the future we will see him as a real visionary – (but not now).