Why Vision Matters

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Leadership expert Ken Blanchard turns 72 today but tells Dan Rockwell he’s not retired, but “refired,” and that “nothing is more powerful than vision.” Rockwell says Blanchard is one of the most energized people I’ve talked with and thinks it’s because “vision fuels youthful, exuberant energy.”  Ken’s reasons that vision is vital: it’s the starting point of leadership, it determines direction, it’s something to serve, it overcomes the power of criticism (without it the squeaky wheels control organizations), and it creates unity. 

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Alas, Blanchard also thinks that vison is sadly lacking. In  “Full Steam Ahead: Unleashing the Power of Vision in your Work and Your Life,” he and coauthor Jesse Stoner wrote: Less than 10% of the organizations we visited are led by managers who have a clear sense of where they are trying to lead people.”