I can relate to Steve Jobs when he said: “If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”
However, I believe that you must have a clear vision to start with before you even attempt to work on it or even share it. I have recently been in a position of assisting a client with their vision of setting up a new entity. This really got me excited!
Here was a blank canvas and where one could be as creative as one wanted to be. But is that true? What happens when your personal vision and your business vision are so entwined and you care so much about where you want to go but it is not a shared vision? When we consider shared vision, we recognize that an entire organization however large or small consists of many parts and/or many people. Our conception is an intentional relationship between parts and whole. Is it important that the vision is shared by others? What happens if your vision is not shared?
Leadership is important in recognizing the need for a shared vision but I have recently come to realize that the alignment process is not a simple one. At the center of any vision is a core set of beliefs or world view. People are actors within their world view, but they do not always examine what guides their actions. Each act out with what is important to them as individuals.
Collective vision building is a deepening, reinforcing process of increasing clarity. As a vision becomes clearer, enthusiasm and willingness heighten. Good communication, sharing of ideas often and understanding each other as a collective makes way for deeper commitment. As people talk, try things out, inquire, try and try again, people become more skilled, ideas become clearer, shared commitment gets stronger.
This is what vision does. It gives us a sense of purpose. High engagement gets us to work better together. It is not a matter of molding everyone in our lives to be our subjects who cannot think for themselves and who must always say yes to you. It is a matter of helping them or promoting a common good, never taking advantage of them. I bet that if you’re really honest with yourself you’ll admit that this likely comes from vision. So what is your personal vision?
Do you have a real sense of purpose? Think of your personal vision statement as the light shining in the darkness that illuminates your life path.
You’re more likely to get what you want if you know what it is and then are clear about what it is you want others to share with you along the way.