Self-aware leaders are visionary because they have worked through the issues that get in the way of creativity and are able to see the big picture and look ahead instead of being stuck always doing the same unproductive things.
If you want to be a profoundly average leader who lacks self-awareness, unvisionary leadership allows you to create a mediocre workplace where people are unhappy, undervalued and underutilized so that someone can make a buck. A large percentage of our workplaces follow this approach when they could just as easily design a profitable organization that treats it’s people well and functions nimbly and creatively. Here are some examples of the contrast between unvisionary and visionary leadership:
Unvisionary: Focus on making money regardless of how you treat employees.
Visionary: Make money while treating your employees kindly and compassionately.
Unvisionary: Find ways to cut pay, perks and benefits.
Visionary: Identify ways to increase pay, perks and benefits.
Unvisionary: Use punishment to try to manage behavior.
Visionary: Use positive reinforcement to encourage positive behavior.
Unvisionary: Spend each day scrambling from one emergency to the next.
Visionary: Plan calmly in advance and include your employees in the process.
Unvisionary: Limit employees’ input and keep them in a box.
Visionary: Encourage creative thinking and listen to people’s ideas.
Unvisionary: Resist change.
Visionary: Welcome change.
Unvisionary: Run your organization from the top down.
Visionary: Give people at all levels power, automy and decision-making ability.
Unvisionary: Provided limited training and expect people to perform perfectly.
Visionary: Provide ongoing training and educational opportunities.
Unvisionary: Make sure people in leadership positions have no self-awareness.
Visionary: Hire or train emotionally intelligent, compassionate leaders.
Your workplace reflects your underlying leadership values and beliefs. Any shift in how your organization functions begins with you imagining that things can be different. You can choose to design a workplace that makes a profit while honoring employees, but it can’t happen unless you believe it’s possible and are willing to take action to make it a reality.
What will you do to develop self-awareness and practice visionary leadership?
Cheers,
Guy