Inspire a Shared Vision

In our leadership course we use the book The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership by Kouzes and Pōsner. As I have said before, it is a simple checklist for evaluating your leadership performance. The second core practice is “Inspiring a Shared Vision.”

Inspiring a shared vision means passionately believing that a difference can be made. These leaders envision the future and create an ideal and unique image of what the organization can become. Leaders orient people to the future and align interests. They do this by:

• ­      Looking ahead and communicating the future

• ­      Describing the organization’s ideal capabilities

• ­      Talking about how future could be better

• ­      Showing others how interests can be realized

• ­      Communicating true purpose and meaning

• ­      Always remaining upbeat and positive

Leaders cannot command commitment. They can only inspire it. They must get others to adopt their vision and rally around the goals. Optimism about long-term prospects is an important success factor.

The leader’s job is to breathe life into the vision by painting a picture of a brighter tomorrow. Inspiring a shared vision is responsibility of an exemplary leader.