In 1992, Burt Nanus introduced the world to visionary leadership. The focus at that time centered on the visionary leader who stood out front and communicated a vision that employees were expected to implement. 

 

Since then, the world has become more connected. The pace of change has picked up speed. Effective followership has taken root. Millennials employees expect to be kept in the loop about the development of their employer’s strategic plan. Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner sum up the process in this way: “people want to be a part of the vision development process”, and Jeff Kohles proposes vision integration as the bridge between vision communication and implementation. 

 

Taken together, these developments have upended visionary leadership as we know it. But what does that mean for the contemporary organization?

 

Yes, organizational vision development has shifted. However, this paradigm shift does not discriminate based on industry or job level. It applies regardless of whether you are: 

• A leader in faith-based organizations, secondary education, small business, or a Fortune 100 company. 

• A senior manager who develops the vision for the whole organization

• A project or team leader working to develop a vision for a new product or service

• A department leader or division manager striving to engage a diverse team working across national and cultural boundaries

 

The traditional strategic visioning backstory usually sounds a little something like this:  

1. Change occurs in the business context. It may be caused by government regulation, a new industry standard, or any number of things. 

2. Senior leaders sense the need for a change within the organization in response to fluctuations in the organization’s external context. It may be a change of direction for the organization or a departmental level change.

3. In response, leaders assemble to formulate a new vision, mission, or strategy. 

4. Once the new strategic direction or vision is complete, leaders delegate the implementation of these strategies to employees and team members. 

 

Did you notice that the organizational leaders skipped a step?

 

Granted, this was not necessarily a conscious decision, nor was it intentional or malicious. And there are a million reasons to explain or justify skipping the step. It happens more often than not. However, skipping that critical step builds resistance – and not buy-in – into the strategic plan. 

 

The Vision 2020 Webinar presents an alternative to this misstep – one that increases employee buy-in. This webinar will share insights in the following areas:

1. How vision solves problems on 3 levels

2. How to increase success, and prevent misalignment, when it comes time to implement the vision. 

3. How individuals and groups contribute to organizational alignment

4. Bridging the gap between vision communication and implementation

5. Two (2) critical actions that catalyze vision integration

6. Seven (7) evidence-based themes that lead to vision realization. 

7. How sales leaders are using vision-based leadership strategies to get ahead of the RFP and increase sales

8. 4 actionable steps that you can do today to accelerate your vision development process

 

You can register to receive instant access to our webinar on vision integration and alignment.