Lead with Vision

Leadership Motivational Quote:

A leader’s job is to look into the future, and to see the organization not as it is…but as it can become.

Lead with Vision

Right now a lot of changes are being made in the way businesses are run due to the tough economy. The companies that will survive and thrive are those with leaders who possess a vision of the future of their businesses – those who can already see where their organization will go.

Leadership that is flying by the seats of its pants might have a bit of trouble. Just trying to keep up with trends, or following public opinion is tricky unless you know how to do it well. By the time you modify your business to follow, a new course is being set, perhaps in the exact opposite direction.

True Leaders Have a Vision

True leaders have a vision and create a following. That’s why they are called leaders, not followers. Visionaries step out on a limb, prepared to fall if need be. If they fall, they’re willing to get up and try again if they really believe in their vision.

The founders of Amazon.com, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter looked in new directions and attracted loyal fans, a LOT of loyal fans who, by the way, are also consumers.

Bring your business to the next level by imagining what it could be, then taking steps to make that vision into a reality. It may not reach Amazonian proportions, but it just might grow.

What Makes a Great Leader

You’ve probably heard that great leaders are born and not made. On the other hand, you may have heard that leadership is like any other skill and can be taught, nurtured and developed. Obviously both of these can’t be true, so which is it?

A successful, thriving business needs great leadership at all levels, but given the wildly conflicting views on the topic, finding them can be a daunting task.

Our view is that the two positions outlined above aren’t mutually exclusive. Natural leaders are born, not made, but anyone can, with training, develop leadership skills. If you’re a natural born leader, then training will make you better, but even someone who isn’t can still become an effective leader with the proper training and guidance.

The list below isn’t all-inclusive, of course, but below, you’ll find a number of characteristics that all great leaders have in common. Find people with the traits we’ll talk about below, and you’ll do a great service to your company, and be much more likely to find and develop outstanding leaders from among their ranks.

Leaders Drive To Excel

All great leaders are driven individuals and tend to live by the phrase ‘Good enough never is.’

You’ll never see a good leader phone in his or her performance. If he’s going to do something, he’s going to do it to the best of his ability and give it his all. You can expect a good leader to over-deliver on everything he or she works on.

Leaders are Flexible

While good leaders tend to be proactive, the reality is that sometimes, stuff happens. Good leaders expect the unexpected and react with both flexibility and adaptability. When an unforeseen problem crops up in the course of conducting the business of business, a good leader will find ways of working around it, going off script a bit if and as needed to over-deliver on the results you’re expecting.

Leaders are Innovative

Great leaders are problem solvers, but they also tend to consistently solve problems before them by way of outside the box thinking. Given the speed with which businesses operate these days, most companies, no matter what business they’re in, expand into new horizons and uncharted territory on a regular basis.

The thing about uncharted territory of course, is the fact that there are no roadmaps or markers to guide you. With a stable of strong leaders on your payroll, navigating those uncertain waters is a much less daunting task.

Leaders have Integrity

It goes without saying that great leaders are men and women of integrity, holding themselves and their work to the highest ethical standards. They treat everyone around them, from co-workers to clients with the utmost respect in all cases, period.

Leaders are Sharing

Finally, great leaders tend not to hog the spotlight, but nurture and support those around them, giving them the tools to excel and shine. A great leader doesn’t need to take full credit for everything. Everyone around him already knows his full measure. He leads by example and helps as many people along the way as possible.

You owe it to yourself and your company to find as many people with as many of these traits as you can. It will do unbelievably good things for your business.