Leadership: The Presence of Vision

In normal, everyday life, people aren't supported in being committed to extraordinary visions. We are supported in being "normal," having the same vision as everybody else. Leaders, however, are distinguished as having extraordinary visions, acting on their visions, and bringing forth vision and action from others.

Leaders understand two important ideas. First, they understand the distinction between results on the one hand, and stories, reasons, and rationalizations on the other. Results provide the most reliable form of feedback about the efficacy of our practices, while our various types of explanations tend to cloud the facts in order to have us "look good" regardless of the results. Leaders are able to discern the results from their own explanations of the results.

While recognizing that there is more to life than just what can be measured by results, leaders honor the information revealed by results and are willing to be managed by the results. They look to the results to indicate the next step on the path of fulfilling their vision. Their commitment to fulfilling their vision is bigger than their need to look good.

Secondly, leaders understand that human beings are fundamentally social beings: it is in our design to relate to one another. The individual "I" doesn't exist except as it correlates with the rest of the world. "I" is the name we have given to a complex set of relationships that occur in the vicinity of our physical bodies. Leaders appreciate our essential interdependence and the powerful possibilities available in uniting that interdependence toward a great vision.

What we call "enrollment" is at the heart of effective leadership. By enrollment, we mean opening up a new possibility for someone such that they take action on it. Whether you participate as a manager, spouse, parent, friend, or neighbor, your ability to produce results depends on your competence at interacting with people in a way that accomplishes something.

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