Exemplary Leaders Inspire A Shared Vision

The ability to Inspire a Shared Vision is an essential leadership skill that sees a leader articulate a shared vision that enlists the team members to see their aspirations embedded in the bigger organisational vision.

According to Kouzes and Posner, the authors of "The Leadership Challenge®,  “Visions provide the inspiration and direction that enable people to dream big dreams, set challenging goals, work together to produce extraordinary results, and persist through difficult times.” 

McKinsey & Company's 2015 Global Survey on Leadership shows only 14 per cent of executives said they were highly successful at creating a shared vision. It is estimated that up to 60 per cent of business change initiatives failed due to a lack of clarity on the shared vision. 

In the 2019 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends survey, only 15% of respondents rated their leaders as “very effective” at envisioning the future and inspiring others. Also, in the same survey, respondents stated that “inspiring a shared vision” was the number one leadership behaviour in need of improvement.

This is echoed by the findings conducted by the Association of Talent Development (ATD) revealing 69% of the respondents reported that their organisation’s leaders need improvement in the area of inspiring a shared vision.

Here are the key behaviours that exemplary leaders demonstrate can take to inspire a shared vision within their organisation. 

1. Talk about future trends that will influence how work gets done
2. Describe a compelling image of what their future could be like
3. Appeal to others to share an exciting dream of the future
4. Show others how their long-term interests can be realised by enlisting in a common vision
5. Paint the “big picture” of what they aspire to accomplish
6. Speak with genuine conviction about the higher meaning and purpose of their work

So, as a leader, if you take the time to articulate and share a common vision within your organisation, you can offer a unifying force that not only galvanizes employees but also boosts team morale, creativity, performance, and productivity. 

To learn more about how to inspire a shared vision contact us at connect@pace-od.com

For more on the Leadership Challenge visit https://www.pace-od.com/solutions/the-leadership-challenge