Leadership vision is a powerful term and it must not be limited to just an organization's mission statement or a vision spelled out in the latest annual report. Rather, it stems from the ideas and thoughts of the person at the helm and permeates into the ethos of the organization: right from the broader strategy and employees to the manner of working and the strength of belief.
The potential to review the present and the ability to conceptualize the future can be a definition of leadership vision. Because that is exactly the power that a true visionary leader would possess – such as the various financial leaders in India, both past and present. From the likes of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who opened the gateway to economic liberalization to modern financial pioneers heralding the age of FinTech such as Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman, and Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv, India has been home to leadership visionaries who have continued to engage thousands of people in their vision of the future.
A leadership vision is bold, authentic, inspiring, and very transparent. It could be something as unique and single-minded which can be exemplified from the following statement by Sanjiv Bajaj:
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We have always been focused on building long term sustainable profit businesses which means we are willing to say no to short term opportunities which come in the way of what we think is right to do in the long term, ethically or otherwise.
Let’s dive deeper into the
importance of leadership vision, the skills needed to accomplish it, and why it is so powerful.
Importance of Leadership Vision
It communicates a goal: A leader should know the destination the team is heading to. This is provided by a powerful vision. With that, he can predict and prepare for the upcoming situations with remarkable tenacity.
For example, if you are one of the Top Financial Leaders India, your vision about the future of the Indian economy will decide the goal of your company and the strategies the company should follow to get out of, say, the pandemic-induced situation in the market.
It provides motivation: A strong leadership vision is enough for the employees to stay motivated. Everybody knows that a powerful vision put forward by a headstrong leader will be transparent, clear, and objective, so as to end up with good results. Hence, it builds enthusiasm and belief among the followers.
It increases focus: A strong vision becomes a goal if communicated perfectly. This will increase the trust of the employees towards the leader and the goal. They end up focusing on the goal more and will start working harder. A perfect vision is like a medicine for focus, even for the leader himself. If you trust your vision completely, then your concentration will sharpen and drive you to get better results.
It helps in clearing obstacles: Leadership vision is important to instill clarity towards the end goal and how to achieve it. This is beneficial in the face of eventual obstacles and roadblocks that will come your way, as you will always have the strategy to steer clear of them at the back of your hand.
Skills to define leadership vision
Execution of leadership vision broadly can be achieved using three key skills:
1. Defining and communicating: The vision of the leader should be communicated to the employees to follow up. For that, defining the vision becomes important. A perfect definition of the vision describing the goals should be communicated among the employees.
2. Strategizing: If vision is the destination, then there should be a map to reach that destination. Strategizing on the vision prepares that map, following which the organization reaches success.
3. Planning: After defining and strategizing, which are metaphorically the destination and the map, planning takes care of the medium to reach the destination. This is an essential skill to have if one is to carve and instill a successful leadership vision.
Why is leadership vision powerful?
So, what is it about leadership vision that lets it hold such a power above one and all? It is the manner in which it fuels everyone to work towards a greater purpose. That is the hallmark of a true leadership vision.
Consider the Top Financial Leaders India who are always looked up to as great visionaries. The reason that has been the case is that their leadership vision went beyond boosting revenues or creating new opportunities for earning money. Such leaders saw their vision as a blueprint for creating an economically powerful, independent, and self-reliant India, boosting opportunities for the common man to not only nurture his entrepreneurial spirit but contribute to the growth of the nation. Modern-day financial leaders, for example, are aspiring to take the power of modern-day banking, finance, and income opportunities to the underserved through the power of cutting-edge technology. At the end of the day, the holistic nature of a leadership vision is what enables not just the leader but his team as well as the followers in the outside world to dream big. This is what makes it truly powerful!
