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Creating a Vision
In one of his first speeches as
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CEO
of
GE,
Jack Welch, explained that he was not going to lay out an
"all-inclusive" grand strategy or step-by-step agenda for the company.
Instead, he was going to articulate a vision and a few clear
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goals
for the company. He has always felt that
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best leaders
are visionaries. They do not get caught up in the minutiae or obsess
over every detail, but instead
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inspire others
to execute on that vision.
To Welch, there are several reasons why it
is better to lay out a general vision and not an exact blueprint. It is
the leader's responsibility to
come
up with the vision. Once the vision was
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communicated,
it is up to the
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team to turn this vision into a
reality.
A leader who spends too much time on the
details is likely overmanaging. It is much better to give a general
direction and
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empower the
team to figure
out the exact route.
Jack Welch believed that the only way to
lead is to talk about company's
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values, not numbers. Numbers have
little to do with creating a vision of fulfilling a
mission; they don't instill
corporate values
into the minds and hearts of the employees, and they don't provide much
help in living up to those values or carrying out the vision.
Create and
project a clear
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vision
Best leaders are
visionaries. Give a general
direction and empower the team to figure out the
exact route. "The leader's unending responsibility
must be to remove every detour, every barrier, to
ensure that vision is first, clear, and then real.
The leader must create an atmosphere in the
organization where people feel not only free to, but
obliged to demand clarity and purpose from their
leaders."
Articulate a few
clear
stretch goals
for your company
Set stretch goals, and if
people don't make them, don't punish them for
trying. "The key is helping people reach for the
unreachable, and to celebrate when they come close.
That will build
confidence
into the fabric of the organization, and prepare the
team for greater challenges."
Make sure you
have the very best people to carry your vision out
Hire those most capable of
turning visions into
reality – ask questions about how they might go
about
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attacking
a particular thorny
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problem. Promote those people
who have the best record of
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making things happen.
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