Leadership is more than just about influencing others. It’s about reminding people of what the team is trying to build and why that matters. Therefore, a core part of the leader’s role is to invest the time today in tomorrow’s future. To effectively manage well, vision is required. You need to plan where you are going, both as a leader and a team. Leaders need to know how they are going to get there. They also need to articulate when the team is going to get there and when.
Most importantly, why everyone is doing what they are doing, all leaders operate with different time horizons. More senior leaders need to see the big picture, connecting today’s activities to what’s coming in the future.
As part of inspiring a shared vision, leaders need to get themselves and others focused on the exciting future possibilities. Each leader of a team must show people how their idea can directly benefit them. It’s essential to show how everyone can contribute to the strategies, goals, and successes yet to come.
Different Vision Levels
Depending on the experience level and responsibility of a leader, their view and vision will differ. Below is a list of the type of leadership levels and the vision that is required for each stage:
Front-line leaders
These are Team Leads or Supervisors who anticipate and plan for events a maximum of three months down the road. These leaders often focus on a time horizon that’s even shorter than three months, usually day-to-day or week-to-week tasks. It is often hard for these leaders to see beyond what’s directly in front of them, moving from task to task (or fire to fire). Their leaders should be as transparent as possible to help them, providing them with a roadmap showing the plan in the next 6+ months. Show them the “why” so they better support initiatives too.
Mid-level leaders
These team managers anticipate and plan for events one to three years away. It’s not uncommon to see some leaders in this management level struggle to see beyond the next couple of months. One challenge they face is being stuck in firefighting mode while not able to escape the day-to-day. Leaders who are incredibly competent and proficient will develop roadmaps and strategies for 3 to 5 years into the future. The mark of a great manager is anticipating changes well before they happen. To be effective, these mid-level leaders need to recognize they play a crucial part in between front-line and senior leaders. If they don’t understand the vision, the greatest of plans will not be successful.
Senior Leaders
These directors or executives plan and anticipate events that will occur 5 to 10 years out. A big challenge these leaders face is connecting the dots with their vision throughout the organization. Successful senior leaders can articulate the ‘why’ behind their strategies effectively to enable others to buy-in and understand how they might contribute. Everyone beneath them looks to them to inspire a shared vision for the future that makes sense. Trust is essential here, or no one will follow these leaders willingly.
