Visionary Leadership Has 3 Key Characteristics

Visionary Leadership Has 3 Key CharacteristicsVisionary Leadership Has 3 Key CharacteristicsWhen you think about visionary leadership, you may think of someone like George Washington, who led a war against the British to establish a new nation, or Mahatma Gandhi, who also revolted against the British, but in a very different way. Both men saw that a new vision of governing was possible and set out to achieve it- and they did. With this historical perspective and pressure, you may think that visionary leadership is rare and certainly leid something an average person can have. But, visionary leadership doesnt have to be world changing. You may already have visionary leadership and not know it. What is Visionary Leadership? A visionary leader is an individual who sees the potential for how the world should exist and then takes steps to get therbeie. You can achieve visionary without a leadership role- become an idea guy, for instance. And, you can successfully lead people to accompl ish a course of action, while not having a vision for the change youd like to create. These two abilities combined- the ability to see the potential for change combined with the ability to lead others creates a visionary leader. If you want to become a visionary leader (or work for one) here are the three main characteristics you want to actively strive to develop or find. Risk Taking Change is never risk-free. And its rare that the solutions come immediately. George Washington didnt trounce the British in the first battle. Defeating the British took years. It took sacrifice the sacrifice of many people who were committed to the vision of self-governance and freedom from English control. You dont need to put your life on the line- Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos slept comfortably at night over the years- but you may need to put your livelihood on the line. Jobs was fired from his own company. Visionary leadership is all about change and change means risk-taking. Listening Contrary to popular opinion, a visionary leader doesnt just go forth ignoring all the naysayers and do what he or she thinks is best. Yes, you will find that there are a lot of naysayers that you need to ignore, but you also have to listen to what people are saying. This makes the difference between the big idea guy and the visionary leader. If youre not willing to listen and accept advice, look at how the market is changing, and take feedback seriously, you wont succeed. Its fine to say, No, Ive considered all of those possibilities and Im still moving forward with my idea. But, if you havent considered the other possibilities, youre setting yourself up for failure. A good leader hears the voices of your team members. And your team needs to feel heard by their leader. You arent a real leader unless people follow you voluntarily, and for that to happen, they need to feel heard. Takes Responsibility A visionary leader knows that his or her ideas are different and are a significant risk a nd the people that follow such a leader are also taking a chance in doing so. So, its critical that you take responsibility for your actions and your vision. This is not only when events go poorly- its also to make sure that they dont go poorly in the first place. The leader is responsible for ensuring that the finances are available to pay people and keep the project moving forward. You must ensure that you treat people fairly. Remember, having a vision is much like having a child. You would do anything and sacrifice everything for your child, but when you want anyone else to participate in raising that child, you have to pay them. A vision is the same you cannot expect your team to sacrifice like you are willing to do. Its not their vision its yours. A visionary leader can become a great force in changing the world or an industry, but this leadership and participation arent always necessary. Sometimes you need a leader who just keeps people enthused about staying on the same path. But, when you need change, you often need a person with a vision. Visionaries look at the status quo and see how they can make the situation different, instead of just making the current situation better. After all, George Washington didnt set out to make a better relationship with King George. He set out to sever that relationship. And that vision made all the difference for the United States. - Suzanne Lucas is a freelance writer who spent 10 years in corporate human resources, where she hired, fired, managed the numbers, and double-checked with the lawyers.