Without vision, people are discouraged.
If people are discouraged, your efforts to lead them are going to be fruitless.
Vision is important. Action without vision is like running with no direction: you’ll end up somewhere, but that doesn’t mean it’s where you want to be.
It’s easy for leaders to get caught up in the motions of “leading” without having a plan of where to go. Whether you know it or not, you’re heading somewhere with every single decision you make. You are either moving closer to your goal or you are moving in the wrong direction.
How do you solve the problem of leading without a vision? Decide out where you want to be. If all the conditions were right, if everything went according to plan, where would you (and, hopefully, your followers) be in one month? In six months? A year?
Once you answer those questions, you can start making decisions to find out how to get there.
If you’re not sure of where you want to be (or could be or should be) ask those around you. In fact, even if you know where you want to be, ask your followers.
Never be afraid to ask those you lead where they want to go. Often, their dreams and ambitions are even larger than yours (but just as obtainable).
If you want to run a marathon in 6 months, start by running a mile this week.
If you want to change the world, start by setting your vision.
Break your vision down into achievable goals. Know where you’re headed, and take the baby steps it takes to get there. Before you know it, you’ll need a bigger, broader, crazier vision.
No vision is too big. The only thing holding your followers back from their vision is you.