Most people dream idly. They daydream rather than visualize what they want. As a leader, you need to find a balance between what you know about yourself and what you dream about yourself. It’s a delicate balance because you never want to deceive yourself into thinking that something is attainable if it is not. But likewise you never want to limit who you are and what you can accomplish. People sometimes have a self-limiting mindset. This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and a hindrance to success. You need to decide who you are and what you want (or want to become).

So without vision, there is no leadership, and there is most certainly no charismatic leadership; there is no inspiring path upon which people can travel. Vision without strategy is like a dream without meaning. It won’t take you anywhere. Leaders with charisma have the ability to see their company, department, or project as they want it to be. It’s their conceptual direction. Moreover, they have the oratory skills to communicate their vision in a way that moves people emotionally. Such leaders can envision an end result and are driven to see it through. As important, they are able to shape a consistent message about that vision to bring people with them. They don’t get caught up in minutia (and I don’t mean people.) It’s the strategic vision — the outcome of what they are leading — that counts.

Immature visionaries know what they want, but they haven’t put it in words, plans, and actions. The vision lies largely in their mind and heart. I see this all too often in my consulting work. People have an idea and are convinced of its virtue. But an idea without a strategic vision lacks substance. And without a charismatic leader to ensure its execution, it lacks even more. On the other hand, mature visionaries recognize the work involved in spelling out their dream. They submit to a process of detailing the dream and converting it to a vision. They develop a substantive working plan that anticipates challenges along the way. And they submit to painstaking preparation because they understand the opportunity.

A good leader envisions what others cannot yet see, creates a strategic plan to carry it out, and effectively communicates it to others with his or her own individual charisma. Your ability to articulate a vision — and ultimately carry it out — will be a determining factor in your leadership.

Tags: Business Development, Business Tips, Developing Leaders, Leadership, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Problems, Leadership Skills, Learning, Life Tips, Motivation, Personal Development, Philosophy, Success, The Mind of a Leader, Vision