Catch a Vision of What Could Be

“Good business leaders create vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.”

Jack Welch


I’ve Been Thinking . . . about what a picture of a World Class Company looks like. If a picture is worth a thousand words, achieving a clear vision of World Class might be priceless.

The movie Dead Poets Society is the story of a professor, John Keating, played by Robin Williams, who teaches at a conservative prep school for boys. In his unorthodox teaching style, Keating teaches the boys far more than his assigned English curriculum.

Keating’s outrageous examples and teaching style inspires these young men to change their lives. In one particular uncustomary classroom scene, Keating stands on a desk to demonstrate the importance of having a “higher view” of the world – a view far different than the one they cultivate sitting in chairs in a traditional classroom or relying on their conventional thinking. Keating enables the boys to see the big picture of life.

If I wasn’t concerned about workplace injuries, I might suggest a similar exercise. Most people could benefit from seeing their world from a big picture view and discovering the seemingly hidden possibilities that tend to be just out of sight.

Our world is in dire need of leaders who inspire people to “elevate their view” of the world and the possibilities that exist. At times, leaders are called on to envision and express that desired future to invigorate and guide team members to a new level of performance. George Bernard Shaw declared, “Most people look at things the way they are and say, ‘Why?’ I look at things the way they could be and say, ‘Why not?” The elevated view enjoyed by people with vision prepares the way for people to see and attain what “could be.”

Leaders are the creators and custodians of the future. Leaders must move beyond the present into a compelling future and provide the inspiration and direction for others to follow along. The world is hungry for visionary leaders who understand what their values are and have a clear picture of what the future could be. World Class leaders continually set forth the compelling vision to remind everyone of the inspirational journey the organization has embarked upon. Without this mindset, a clear picture of the path to World Class isn’t probable.

One of my greatest challenges is to think beyond what is and help those around me to do the same. We need to teach people “how” to think, not “what” to think. My vision for our company is to become a World Class organization that just happens to provide World Class service and care for the elderly. Now the trick is to learn “how” to think World Class and then determine a compelling, non-traditional path for getting there.

Creating the right vision will close the gap between what is occurring now and what we aspire to be in the future. It’s not about specific outcomes but a passion to maximize organizational potential. Our job is to rally those around us to a better future. Here are few questions that might energize a higher view picture of your future:

What would the ideal department look like 3-5 years from now?
What innovative things would you like to attempt that could substantially change the quality of what you do?

What is your dream that currently seems impossible of what the organization could become?

Is there a vision for the future that team members can buy into and believe in?

Is there a vivid image of the future that promotes excitement throughout the organization?

Aristotle said, “The soul never thinks without a picture.” What’s your picture of World Class?

The gap that exists between “what is” and what “could be” is what fuels organizations to new levels of effectiveness and efficiency.

“The future belongs to those who see the possibilities before they become obvious.”

John Sculley