How To Have Vision As A Leader
Part 3 in a series on Leadership. Part 1 here. Part 2 here.
There are three things that make up the vision of a leader. By getting good at all three, you will be able to lead yourself and your business through anything.
What was it that allowed a filmmaker like George Lucas to go from making small indie movies like THX-1138 and American Graffiti to one of the largest franchises of all time in Star Wars?
Vision.
His vision was so unique and well developed that he was able to become one of the most successful filmmakers of all time.
When he made Star Wars: A New Hope, he was able to retain both the sequel and the merchandizing rights to the movie, because he could see the future in a way that those he was negotiating with couldn’t.
Because of that vision, Lucas became not only one of the most successful, but one of the richest filmmakers ever.
He was able to create both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, as well as Industrial Light and Magic — responsible for the visual effects in hundreds of the world’s favorite movies — and Skywalker Sound, a preeminent post-production sound facility.
Anyone could have created these massive companies and had this effect on the film industry, but Lucas was able to because of his vision as a leader.
How can you do the same for your business and your industry?
Simple. Follow a three-step process:
1. SEE THINGS AS THEY ARE
The first step in having a vision as a leader is to see things as they are.
Not worse than they are, and not better than they are (yet).
The focus in this stage of the process is to see with complete clarity.
When looking at the state of your business — how profitable are you? How many months can you survive? Is the company functioning well? Etc.
It requires brutal honesty and humility — putting any pride and ego aside.
The goal is to get to the truth.
My favorite definition of truth comes from a book of scripture called Doctrine and Covenants.
Truth is a knowledge of things as they are, as they were, and as they are to come;
Getting to a point where we have a knowledge of things as they are is the goal in this first step.
Then we move forward to step two:
2. SEE THINGS BETTER THAN THEY ARE
There are plenty of people who can see things as they are. It’s difficult at times, but it’s not hard.
This next step requires a lot more stretching and effort and imagination.
It starts from having a willingness and desire to see further into the future.
To dream.
- What could your life look like in a year, or two, or five?
- What changes in your industry would cause massive shifts over time?
- If things were different, what would that look like?
Remember, the difference in the negotiation over Star Wars was the vision of those on either side of the table.
One side had a short-term view — maximizing profits in a given quarter or year — and the other had a long-term view.
Having a long-term view in that moment served Lucas, and the industry as a whole, incredibly well.
As an exercise, write down answers to the following questions:
What current realities are causing you and others the most frustration right now?
How would you change those realities to make things better?
From there, we have to add action.
Without action, nothing gets done. Ideas and dreams are great, but without turning those passions into actions, they dissipate and never are realized.
It requires you to take ownership. To lead. To see what must be done and then go after it.
3. MAKE THINGS BETTER THAN THEY ARE
In order for any desired change to become a reality, someone has to get to a point where the current reality — things as they are — is more painful than the effort it will take to create a new reality where things are better than they currently are.
Once that shift occurs, watch out, because there is someone who is motivated to get what they want, no matter the cost.
If the hardest part of this process for you is in this third step of taking action, you can look at your current situation and add on the reasons that it’s painful for you.
The more you stack on the pain, the sooner it turns into a tipping point, where you are so disturbed by it that you cannot take it any longer, and it launches you into action.
Every single breakthrough in our lifetime has come from someone going through this process.
Getting clear on the current situation, then getting frustrated with it which sparks a desire for something better, to the point where that person takes action and makes things better than they are.
Every new business or product, every new law or change in the political arena, every new relationship — they all come from this same process.
It’s everywhere in our lives.
The more we can become aware of it, and it’s steps, the more we can control it and use it to create breakthroughs where we desire them most — in our relationships, our businesses, and our industries.
So go now — create the life you’ve always wanted.
Let me know in the comments what you’re currently frustrated by, how you would make it better, and what you’ll commit to doing in the next week to take action.
