This week’s meeting with a client reminded me of something so fundamental in running any size of business.
Don’t forget your vision.
John Maxwell says the best definition of a leader is “A leader sees more than the people around them and they see it before the people around them.” That, my friend, is vision.
First the Entrepreneur
If you are an entrepreneur and small business owner, the vision can get lost in the details. Especially if you’ve begun to scale your company.
Time and growth have ways of distracting from the vision.
As your baby begins to grow, you may lose sight of the original vision that got you started. Daily responsibilities, putting out fires, and keeping your head down in the details frequently leads to losing touch with the original design and inspiration you had.
On one hand, it sounds too obvious. Well of course I know my vision. Do you? Or has the collection of all the noise drowned it out? As decisions compound with company growth, the vision needs to get updated and at least refreshed to reflect what has happened.
It Happens in Bigger Business Too
For managers and executives in larger businesses, too often you never created your vision goal for your team. Sure you have objectives and deliverables but does that line up with a bigger picture vision of your part of the company.
When I meet new clients inside the bigger corporate settings, I always ask whether they have a vision for their unit. It is surprising how many say “Well, no. I’m here to do what the company tells me to do.” I encourage them to formulate their own vision for their slice of the pie. Get it approved/aligned with their boss. But then run with that vision. For some, vision sounds too fluffy. It’s not tangible enough. OK fine, make it tangible. Set metrics, KPI, and expectations.
Part of having a successful vision is letting your team know what you think a ‘win’ looks like. Let them share in the vision. Then spend time teaching and sharing the vision so your team can rally around it.
Periodically you will need to revisit the vision, make adjustments based on real facts and circumstances. Don’t forget about doing that.
Set your course, cast the vision, and never lose sight of it.
If you’ve done something lately with your vision, leave a comment.
