Who can deny the effectiveness of a well-communicated vision?
Ed Mylett says, “Nothing motivates an organization like a clear and compelling vision. But it can be tricky to paint a picture of what’s in your mind so that others can see exactly what you’re seeing.”
What you see ignites a fire within you, and how you communicate it activates the imagination of those who listen. the future is what we make it; thus, we can begin working towards it.
We can possess a world-changing vision that will add value to others for generations to come; unless we enable others to see what we’re seeing, it will remain trapped within us.
Passion is Contagious
“The fire residing within the experienced heart wields a much more powerful influence on others than ten thousand words of theory.”
— JSP
Learning how to make people feel what we’re feeling is priority one. As a leader, how do you enable others to see what you’re seeing? Make them feel what you’re feeling!
We cannot impart to others that which we aren’t feeling ourselves. People who are motivated get things done and empower others to buy-in to what they see and spark a desire to participate.
Lead the Way
John Maxwell says, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
The communication of what we’re seeing facilitates change. Communication is about connecting, thus impacting a variety of people. Living what you’re seeing models the way forward; “a picture is worth a thousand words” certainly applies here.
A shift in an organization’s culture is normal when new ways of seeing and thinking about things begin to take hold in the minds of its influencers.
Keep it Real
Nothing sets people at ease and stirs their desire to follow a leader like authenticity does. The level of our leadership effectiveness rests firmly on the environment of honest accountability our own transparency creates.
When a leader demonstrates accountability and assumes full responsibility, the resolve of their team’s work ethic is strengthened. This fosters organizational connectivity for collaborative efforts at a much higher level.
Live What You See
Verbal communication is an art; visual communication is genius. Leaders and managers must model the behaviors that they expect their people to perform. Without this consistency between words and behaviors, the credibility of our leadership will dissipate rapidly, and resistance to what we envision will grow.
Rebecca Vogels writes, “Visual communication is so effective because it can be processed much faster. Both cognitively and emotionally. In fact, we process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Visual communication happens in a split second, while verbal communication is a process that develops over time.” (1)
In Closing, John Maxwell encourages leaders to “Step toward the vision. Some people see the vision, but they never step toward it. They cannot seem to summon the courage to overcome their fear, or they cannot find the passion to get past their apathy. As a consequence, their vision sits on the shelf until it spoils or until someone else takes the initiative to claim it.”
End Notes
1. 4 reasons why you should integrate visual communication into your workflow by Rebecca Vovels https://bit.ly/4cfqkjd
*** This article was authored by John Picarello, Chief Leadership Officer at Lions Pride Leadership Co.***