This article is for visionary executives who are change agents in their organization as well as for entrepreneurs who are on a quest to deliver a solution to clients or the world that solves big problems. If you are a visionary, you see the world differently and thank god you do! Because you are beacons for what we most need during these crazy times.
Are You a Visionary?
If you are a visionary then you have:
- An uncanny ability to see what is possible beyond what others see in a domain of business, the public good, politics or another area of life.
- The skill to recognize what has to happen to close the gap between your vision and the current reality.
- A brilliant intellect and a blazing heart that fuels an unbridled passion for realizing your dream.
- A desire to continuously learn what you must and the ability to organize your learning to inform their vision continually.
- Excitement for the solution you bring that is contagious and the ability to enroll a tribe of enthusiastic believers.
- The willingness and determination to do what it takes to turn your vision into reality.
The Visionary's Dilemmas
And you also deal with great dilemmas as you attempt to forward your vision, including, at times:
- Lacking crystal clarity around the vision itself and how to unfold it in practical, incremental ways.
- Feeling misunderstood or not appreciated because you see what has to happen to close the gap between the current reality and your perception of what's possible.
- Being frustrated that the change you see will add so much value is taking too long to realize.
- Not dealing well with the roadblocks that are inevitably part of influencing the change you want manifest.
- Feeling burnt out because you are always moving flat out and not always taking care of yourself.
Keys to Overcoming The Visionary's Dilemmas
As a coach to visionaries, I have found there are three primary areas of practice alleviate these challenges and add velocity to your visionary's quest to realize what they see. Each of these areas has key practice areas that support the visionaries I have worked with to move forward with more effectiveness and velocity. These key areas are:
Practice Area I: Creating time and space to build your executive presence
This must become a sacred first step as you start and end each day. Engaging practice that build presence is critical to expanding your creativity and being on top of your gam. For example, you might engage a meditation practice, do yoga, take a walk in nature or listen to some music that inspires you or journal. Every visionary that I have worked with who this also found their productivity skyrocketed.
In addition, taking time to understand your deeper nature helps you bring into focus your key creative abilities, as well as those tendencies that can derail you. When you have a deeper understanding of how you tick, you can craft the most powerful pathway forward for turning your vision into tangible results. One that works with your strengths, not against them. I have found the Enneagram a powerful resource to help my visionary clients better understand their nature.
Practice Area II: Get crystal clear on what it will look like once you realize your vision and experience its impact unfolding in the world.
Yes, you know what you are trying to create and the value it will create rolls off your tongue. Yet, spending time reflecting at an entirely new level of detail will sharpen your attention even more and will release more creative energy. For example, I lead my clients through a process that helps them clarify their purpose, values and key measures of success. These elements serve as the components that they can then use to craft a success narrative that defines what most excites them about their vision.
Practice Area III: Proactively build your tribe of evangelists
You likely have come across many people who get excited about what you are aiming to create or transform. But are you being proactive in doing this or taking it each day as it comes? If you are doing the later, you may be hindering your progress. This is because your idea will go nowhere unless you have enthusiastic supporters helping you along.
If you are an executive who is seeking to transform an approach or way services are delivered within your organization, you need to strengthen relationships with others who can join you. If you are an entrepreneur aiming to build a successful business to bring your solution into the world, you clearly need investors yet also benefit from others with business knowledge, the talent that can help you create, build and deliver your offering. So the question becomes, who is your tribe and who are those you need to enroll in your vision who can assist you in making it real?
Conclusion
Engaging these three areas of practice are essential to expedite your success. Again, the world needs you. It is crying for changes, shifts in paradigms, and new solutions you offer. Yes, you have the vision and determination to make it happen. Yet, these alone may not be enough. To see the change you deeply desire to create, you must find the most effortless path, which includes you being willing to change get clearer around who you REALLY are, the impact you wish to generate and understand who must join you to generate your ultimate success.