Would You Throw Yourself Across the Railroad Tracks for Your Vision?

Posted on August 13, 2010 by kenbrown

The number one job as a leader is to be the champion of the vision: make it a crusade, not a job to bring it to reality.

Leaders in freedom everyday know that the pursuit of a vision demands courage. With negativity all around us, your vision will likely come under attack. Peers who once were trusted allies or direct reports who were once on board may begin to worry about the security of their position and resist a vision that infers imminent change. As fear increase, you may feel under siege. When this happens, avoid bunker mentality. Face challenges head on. Never waver or retreat even when the going gets tough! Keep the faith; persevere!

When faith begins to waver of energy begins to wane, be a disciple of the vision!

Strategic leaders recognize that their place is “up-front” — taking a cue from notable leaders such as Alexander the Great, William Wallace, and George Washington, all famous for “leading the way into battle” – astride their horse, chariot, or ice-encumbered flat bottom boat. This brave, exposure-to-the-elements leadership style no doubt inspired many a warrior into victory against all odds. History books tell us that overtime, however, generals began commanding “from the back” where they could better strategize – and stay alive! Many leaders have slowly retreated to corner-office positions, taking up the trend often referred to as “mission control leading.” They see things from their desk and rely on second-hand sources to get their information.

Today’s successful leaders, on the other hand, remain “on the line.” They stay close to what is happening in the work environment and get their information from a broad range of sources, namely talking to their employees. Front-and-center leaders deploy the vision and involve employees in important initiatives because they know that if employees are engaged in the process, it translates into productivity and service, which in turn delivers financial results.

Remain out front when the going gets tough. Uphold the vision in the best and worst of times to keep everyone and the business on course. Don’t let fear let you falter. Dare to make moves when others are stalled. Remember, fear is a paralyzing agent. In fact, fear is the enemy of faith. Fear is actually False Expectations Appearing Real. Don’t let this hold back the future.

Defend it! Tips for “ L.I.F.E.”
• Lead with courage.
• Uphold what you believe in.
• Keep the focus on the possibilities and outcomes.
• Anticipate resistance.
• Stay the course in the face of adversity.

When the air is full of fear, that’s when brave hearts – the leaders with conviction – clearly and confidently walk in the direction that most are running away from.
Excerpt from Linkage Leader: Ten Tactics for Leading in Hard Times

If you want to learn more about how and why to defend a vision in good and bad times,

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In your experience, which of these benefits is the best reason to defend a vision?

Posted on August 12, 2010 by kenbrown

o To maintain focus on the future
o To demonstrate personal passion and belief in it
o To give others confidence in the future
o To preserve personal integrity
o To test one’s own strength and courage

Leave your comments below.

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Write it Down and Share it With Others!

Posted on August 11, 2010 by kenbrown

It is the responsibility of a leader to help teams envision a clear purpose and path for success. Preparing and communicating a vision helps show others how a business initiative or plan serves everyone. When your teams understand the direction and see bearing and benefit for themselves as well as for the greater good of the company, they are more likely to buy in, engage, and come up with ideas on their own.

A leader must be able to express his or her vision clearly and in a compelling manner so that others are engaged by it. Only if people grasp the vision can they commit to it, and buy-in is crucial to motivating action. A vision should be an inspiring proclamation of what is to become and what needs to be achieved at some point in the future.

This way, team members are more supportive and know where their focus needs to be. Being aware of the company’s direction and how it’s faring is empowering.

Ineffective or poor communication is frustrating for employees, and it becomes a source of a conflict. Managers’ inability to clearly express their thoughts, ideas and demands leads to employees’ inability to perform well. In contrast, if a leader is able to communicate their ideas clearly, so that employees definitely know what is asked of them, they will perform their jobs correspondingly.

Writing down a vision is is a way to focus your and your team’s energy, actions, behaviors and decisions. Committing a vision statement to writing helps make it more urgent and front of mind. To be effective, a vision must motivate employees. And to motivate employees, a vision might be expressed in stirring tones. Use positive, provocative language, and make it clear and compelling. There is no length requirement for a vision statement; however, if you keep it simple and somewhat brief, it will be memorable. Use the Who, What, Where, Why, How, When vision formula below.

The Business Vision Formula
• WHO are we?
• WHAT do we want to become?
• WHERE are we now?
• WHY are we going down this path?
• HOW will we get there?
• WHEN will we get there?

More L.I.F.E Tips for Sharing a Vision with Others
• Anchor it to the overall direction and objectives of the company.
• Show what is possible by giving examples.
• Encourage others to openly express thoughts and feelings about the change.
• Show the benefits to the person, organization, department, customer, etc.
• Educate people on the expected changes and benefits.
• Post the vision in common areas.
• Communicate clearly and often.
• Celebrate milestones of achievement.

“Effective visions provide context, give purpose, and establish meaning. They inspire people to mobilize, to act, to move in the same direction… Every good leader realizes that effective visions cannot be forced upon the masses. Rather they must be set in motion by means of persuasion and inspiration.”
– Martin Luther King Jr.

If you want to learn more about how to create a clear compelling vision and increase buy-in,
join our webinar on August 25th.

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Visit Your Vision Daily!

Posted on August 4, 2010 by kenbrown

To reach your leadership destination, you must carry a rousing picture in your mind of where you are headed. Your vision should describe your aspirations for the future, but it doesn’t have to spell out the means by which to achieve those desired ends. For example, your vision could be as big as “write a book by end of the year,” but it doesn’t have to specify how many pages you have to write each day. A vision should teeter on the edge of unattainable yet within reach. A vision needs to be both ambitious and obtainable.

So what is the trick to making something so seemingly paradoxical…possible?

To motivate action, your personal vision should not stir emotion to act, but it should be in sight at all times. One of the chief reasons visions never materialize is the failure to visit it daily.

Every person who ever dreamed and realized their dreams, dreamed big. And they carried those dreams in the forefront. A goal in plain sight is a goal in sight. It is a powerful reminder to keep yourself on track.

Consider these two “ordinary” people whose “visible visions” led them to do “extraordinary things.”

Robin Wilson Home is an eco-friendly design company. The founder, Robin, chose to enter the business because she herself had suffered from allergies and asthma throughout her life. Her vision was to provide educational products to teach people about an eco-friendly lifestyle. She shares, “We are able to provide tips and solutions to concerned families. It is a wonderful feeling to see the look of relief on their faces when they realize these solutions are also affordable.”

When asked to comment on her vision, she revealed that the words on a paperweight that she received for her 30th birthday inspired the future of her career: what would you attempt to do, if you knew you could not fail? These words led to an answer… Build a company that helps people, teaches people how to live in an eco-healthy home environment, and find a way to be creative every day. That paperweight still sits on her desk, so when an idea pops up, she can respond appropriately by having those words guide her.

Marc Mero, founder of Champion of Choices, Inc., keeps his goals on post-its, stuck all around his desktop computer to remind himself of the important vision of his organization: to empower young people and at-risk youth to achieve lifelong success based on their own ability to make positive life choices. Once an underprivileged child in a deprived neighborhood, Marc had a vision to be famous one day. He wrote his dreams down in a diary every day and carries it around still at age 50. Marc went on to become a world-renown boxer and wrestler, thus realizing his dream. Today, he travels around the world speaking to young people with a new vision: to inspire them to overcome challenges and have hope for the future. Through his school presentations, Marc has inspired thousands of young people. Students relate to Marc’s story about growing up in a broken family and dreaming of a better future. Marc’s early athletic successes were sidelined during years of rebellion, substance abuse and bad choices. Following a series of personal tragedies including the loss of more than 30 of his friends & family members and while reflecting on his life, Marc was compelled to create a program that would allow him to reach out to students and encourage them to live compassionate, fulfilling lives. Marc continues to set daily goals that support his vision, and he believes that if your vision is in front of you every day, that you’ll make it happen.

“To choose a direction, an executive must have developed a mental image of the possible and desirable future state of the organization. This image, which we call a vision, may be as vague as a dream or as precise as a goal or a mission statement.”
- Warren Bennis

Join our webinar on August 25, 2010 3pm EDT to learn more about how important an ambitious, yet obtainable vision is to leadership success.

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Preparing and Communicating – True or False

Posted on August 2, 2010 by kenbrown

It is the responsibility of a leader to help teams envision a clear purpose and path for success. Preparing and communicating a vision helps show others how a business initiative or plan serves everyone.

Are you clearly communicating your vision? Find out. Grab a pencil and paper and mark your answers. Don’t peek or (scroll) until you have finished.

1. T or F: An effective vision aligns with the overall direction and objectives of the
company.
2. T or F: Employees thrive in an environment where there is an open flow of communication.
3. T or F: When it comes to communication, one size fits all.
4. T or F: A vision should be fixed and unchanging.
5. T or F: To be effective, all communication must be articulated in words.
6. T or F: The best written vision statements are detailed and verbose.
7. T or F Being aware of the company’s direction and how it’s faring is empowering.
8. T or F: When it comes to vision, buy-in is crucial to motivating action.
9. T or F: The best way to get support of a vision is to stress the consequences of not.
10. T or F: Employees need to know how they contribute to a vision in order to support it.

Answer Key: For every correct answer you get 1 point
1. T
2. T
3. F
4. F
5. F
6. T
7. T
8. T
9. F
10. T

How did you do?

8- 10 of your answers were correct! Congratulations! You are keenly aware of the role developing and sharing a vision is to leading in freedom everyday. Be sure to join our webinar on August 25 to discover some additional ways to create and clear and compelling vision.

5-7 of your answers were correct. Here’s a free tip for creating a clear and compelling vision: When your teams understand the direction and see bearing and benefit for themselves as well as for the greater good of the company, they are more likely to buy in, engage and come up with ideas on their own. Also, register for our webinar on August 25 for more tips creating and communicating a clear and compelling vision, and how Ken Brown can help you live in freedom everyday.

0-4 of your answers were correct. You have an opportunity to increase your awareness on the importance of creating and sharing a vision in leading in freedom everyday. Be sure to join our webinar on August 25 to discover some additional ways to create a clear and compelling vision.

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Personal “Vision Exam”

Posted on July 26, 2010 by kenbrown
Always Sometimes Never
I recognize that moving from good leadership to great leadership comes down to a motivating personal vision.      
I realize that for my personal leadership vision to inspire me to reach my greatest potential, my goals have to be slightly out of reach.      
I lead in freedom everyday because my personal leadership vision is both ambitious and achievable.      
I dedicate time in my every day activities to think about the possibilities of the future – both in my professional and personal life.      
My personal vision describes my aspirations for the future, and begins with the end in mind.      

In you answered “sometimes” or “never” for more than two of these questions, chances are, you need a bigger, more go-getting vision.

Join our webinar on July 28, 2010 3pm EST to discover why a motivational vision is essential is to leading in freedom every day.


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The Value of a Vision

Posted on July 20, 2010 by kenbrown

A vision is more than an academic exercise and a plaque on the wall. A vision paints an inspiring picture of what an organization and its leaders can become. It points towards a new future, a change in direction, and the possibilities — and impossibilities — of a brighter tomorrow.

Creating and communicating a clear and compelling vision is an essential quality of great leadership. In fact, envisioning exciting possibilities and enlisting others in a shared view of the future is the attribute that most distinguishes great leaders from average ones.

But what makes for a valuable vision and what role does it play in business success?

To lead in freedom every day, an organization and its people need to have a clear and inspiring vision.
You cannot lead without a persuasive vision and a shared view of the future. A vision brings to light new possibilities of leading in freedom. It gives everyone something to believe in, work towards, and identify with. People enjoy working towards a goal that is meaningful and provides an opportunity to contribute to a larger purpose. A clear and compelling vision unites employees and thereby increases levels of engagement and productivity.

To effective inspire and engage others, a vision must:

  • Clearly set organizational direction and purpose
  • Inspire involvement of all employees
  • Display and reflect the unique strengths, culture, values, and beliefs of an organization
  • Show employees they are part of something bigger than themselves and their daily work
  • Be regularly communicated and shared
  • Challenge people to outdo themselves, to stretch and reach

What’s the secret to developing a vision?
The best place to start is to explore with others what makes your business successful. What’s your core competency? What’s got you this far? What makes you stand out from the competition? Ask around. Power to you if you dream up a compelling vision on your own, but if you really want to motivate employees with a vision, engage them in creating it.

How Ken Brown makes a vision a reality:

  1. Make it “bigger” than now.
  2. Write it down.
  3. Visit it daily.
  4. Share it with others.
  5. Defend it!

“The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion.”
–Theodore Hesburgh, President of the University of Notre Dame

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Does your business need a vision?

Posted on July 19, 2010 by kenbrown
  • Are your employees lacking in motivation?
  • Does your business need to move in a new direction?
  • Is your business struggling and need to change in some way to be successful?
  • Is there an absence of a shared sense of progress or momentum?
  • Does your organization seem out-of-tune with trends in the environment?

If you answered “yes” to more than two of these questions, chances are, your business needs a clear and compelling business vision.

Join our free audio conference on July 28th at 3pm EST to learn more about how essential vision is to achieving business goals. The call will be 15 minutes long with an additional 15 minutes for a Q & A!

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