RECOGNIZING VISION...

First, we must be able to distinguish between executives with vision and those without it. Since it is easy to feign vision, this is not as simple as it seems. Some self-styled visionaries are really dreamers who let their imagination paint interesting but impractical pictures of the future. Such fantasies may inspire people for a short period of time, but when they fail to materialize, they bring disillusionment in their wake.

         

John Kotter, Harvard Business School Professor and author of The General Managers, has shed interesting light on the nature of Effective Executives filming a "A Day in the Life" of two very Senior Executives, one closely resembling the Visionary Executive and one falling considerably short. The Visionary Executive - a skillful strategic player, works quite differently from the non-visionary one who is merely trapped in a role. 

• The visionary executive smilingly admits that he has only a few crucial appointments scheduled on his calendar. In contrast, the Non-Visionary Executive could not squeeze in another appointment. His over loaded schedule has strapped him in a straight jacket.

 
           

• The Visionary Executive spends considerable time walking round the organization, warmly greeting and chatting with colleagues. The trapped executive spends bulk of his time in small/large meetings, during which he directs the action of his associates.

                    

• The visionary executive frequently talks about his philosophy, the corporate direction, and the values he thinks that will keep the organization successful. The non visionary executive never talks about philosophy and in fact does not appear to have one. " "I am too busy to fool around with abstractions and fantasies" he says.

                           

• The visionary executive urges his colleagues to bring both their brains and hearts to work because, in the critical path of life, one cannot separate the two. The other executive, who frowns a lot and rarely smiles, takes executives aside between meetings to criticize their work.

              

• During his work day, the visionary executive spends a lot of time in the office discussing new products and plans. He hosts spontaneous and informal lunches with key personnel, after which he delivers inspirational speeches to small groups of key employees. The non visionary executive, who wastes most of his time in meetings, devotes a lot of time to such unproductive  undertakings such as reviews, strategies and plan of actions.

                  

The two types of executives can be defined by the following traits:

 

Non Visionary Executive:

• Solves daily problems and makes decisions.
• Meets formally with immediate subordinates and colleagues.
• Is aloof, rational, critical, and "cold." (People and ideas prompt a reserved response)
• Pays attention to weakness.
• Talks about current business activities.

 
        

Visionary Executive

• Articulates philosophy.
• Makes contact with employees at all levels.
• Is receptive, expressive, supportive, and "hot." (People and ideas ignite him.)
• Pays attention to strengths.
• Talks about future goals.

            

   

Obviously vision distinguishes the strategic player from the trapped executive.Though strategic players do more than merely create visions for their organization, their vision resides at the very core and rules every action. By contrast, the strapped executives do what they do because they are too busy to see where they are going, have no concept of what is really important, and experience rather than invent the future. In a study of fifty outstanding Visionary Executives, Warren Bennis identified certain common traits. They are:

• Developing a compelling vision of the organization's future.
• Translating the vision into reality by concentrating on the keys to success.
• Remaining deeply involved at the very heart of things, spurring the actions necessary to carry out the vision.
• Motivating the associates to embrace the vision.
• Constantly articulating the vision, so that it permeates to all organizational levels and functions, taking the organization forward.
• Always acting in a warm, supportive, expressive way and always communicating that "we are all in this together, like a family."
• Remaining at the centre of action, positioned as prime shaper of the vision.
• Looks for ways to improve, augment, or further develop the corporate vision by carefully observing changes, inside and outside the organization.
• Measures the ultimate success of the organization in terms of its ability to fulfill the vision.