The Vision All Leaders Always Need


Leader-centric vision casting captures and dominates current leadership thought. From Moses to Martin Luther King Jr., stories of leaders with captivating dreams fill leadership literature. I love it and hate it.

We’ve made the exception the rule.

How many Moses’ are there? I’m betting you and I aren’t the next Martin Luther King Jr. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Self centered dreams last as long as you last. Vision centered on others, however, has legs.

Universal vision:

Here’s a universal vision every leader must embrace:

Passionately help others find their passion.

Stop convincing others to follow your dream;
call them to follow theirs.

Get real:

Limited time and resources demand selection. You can’t help everyone. Additionally, you have organizational concerns and responsibilities.

  1. Focus on those who share your values.
  2. Walk alongside those who share your destination.
  3. Enable those who embrace organizational mission. The more fully aligned they are the more you give. Send the rest elsewhere.
  4. Go with high potentials. Remember, however, that flashy personalities and high intelligence may not indicate potential.
  5. Alignment, character, passion and initiative are key high potential identifiers.

Yes, but:

Vision centered on your passion not theirs is essential in several situations. Someone must boldly point the way during:

  1. Start-ups and in entrepreneurial situations.
  2. Innovative transformation.
  3. Social movements.
  4. Crisis.


Every organization needs a mission and vision point-person; someone who embodies the heart of who you are and hope to be – that’s you. Organizational leaders can’t go around randomly saying, “Follow your dream,” regardless of the circumstances.

All successful leaders, however, enhance and enable others. Great leaders fuel the passion of others. This is the universal vision for all leaders all the time.

I’d love your feedback concerning this idea. Is there a universal leadership vision that lays alongside organizational mission and vision?  Do you have exceptions, modifications, or concerns?