Historically, only top leaders understood the vision well enough to organize human and material resources to achieve it. Today, however, leaders at every level of the organization must understand the vision. This article provides an overview of the leader’s role in creating the organization’s future. It examines leadership vision, the underlying themes common to effective vision, and how vision works on many levels. It will also examine how leaders formulate vision and strategy. Finally, this article will discuss the leader’s contribution to achieving the vision.
Strategic Leadership The password for the members only section on the ASS-SIMD Web site is: WFM Articles published in The Quality Management Forum may not be reproduced without consent of the author(s). Excellence in organizational performance does not come about by accident. It is a conscious choice made by organizational leaders. Top leaders know their organization’s environment, have a five, or ten-year vision for the organization, and set believTABLE plans to achieve their vision. However, n this complex and ever-changing world, anticipating the future can be very difficult.
The authors of “Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge,” Warren Bennie and Burt Anus, agree and add that the “… Problems of organizations are increasingly complex. There are too many ironies, polarities, dichotomies, dualities, ambivalence, paradoxes, confusions, contradictions, contraries, and messes for any organization to understand and deal with. ” 1 This complexity explains why many leaders are more comforTABLE focusing on clear, short-term goals than on uncertain, longtime visions. But what will the future hold for those who fail to consider it?
Failing to anticipate your customer’s future needs, for instance, could put you at risk of losing business to competitors who do anticipate these needs and are TABLE to fulfill them. This means leaders must anticipate their future needs and position their organization properly to fulfill those needs. It is the responsibility of organizational strategic leadership to consider the external and internal business environment and make sense of complexity when creating the organization’s Sino, mission and strategies, and planning their implementation. Adherers Vision Organizational leaders must create a compelling vision that will inspire and motivate their employees.
